For You
by amykay
Summary: Continues after Lovers in a Dangerous Time. Flint and Alison take on the challenges of new parenthood, a long distance relationship, and the hunt for the next threat.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Sorry for the delay! Thank you for the nudges and pokes over the last few months asking for this story to be continued.

And as always, thank you to Mossley for once again jumping into the beta role and helping me out with the story.

* * *

The alarm woke Flint from a deep sleep. As he automatically reached over to silence the buzzing, he tried to hold on to the pleasant dream he had been in the middle of. The exact details had faded away but he knew it had involved Alison. The first moments of the morning had been the hardest on him the last few days. His subconscious had been on overdrive, providing him with a different happy dream starring Alison each night. And each morning, as he woke up, he had to remind himself of the reality of the situation. However, a movement to his right alerted him to the fact that this morning was different.

Flint rolled over and smiled at Alison. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to wake you."

"No, it's okay. I want to catch a ride in with you. I still have a lot of packing to do."

Flint mentally reviewed his schedule. "I have to finalize my mission plan, but that shouldn't take long. So I should have a few hours to come help."

"That will be great. Come by my room when you have a chance. I admit I didn't get much done yesterday."

Flint leaned over and kissed her. "Actually, I think we accomplished quite a bit."

Alison smiled. "We did. And because of that, I think I am now really ready to pack up and move on. So bring boxes with you." She stretched and then got out of bed.

Flint took a moment to watch her. "I will. But don't overdo it." Her back was to him, but he could still see her tense. Flint scolded himself. As he had lain awake after their very passionate reunion the previous night, he had made a mental list of the ways he was going to be a better partner to Alison. One of them was that he was going to stop nagging her about her and the baby's well-being. But he just realized that some of his good intentions were going to be harder to follow through on than others.

Luckily, Alison didn't call him on his comment. But wanting to stay on her good side, he jumped out of bed and came up behind her. He wrapped his arms around her, nuzzled his face into her neck and said, "I'm sorry. I know that I annoy you with comments like that. But even though I worry about you and Junior I'm going to try and tone it down."

"Thank you, I appreciate that," Alison replied. She cocked her head towards the shower. "Do you want to join me? We can save some time and water."

Flint enthusiastically agreed. In the end, they saved neither time nor water, but to Flint it was worth it. He briefly debated calling out sick, and if he hadn't had the impending mission he would have given it serious thought. But he did have a job to do, so once their shower escapades were over, he reluctantly got dressed. He made a promise to himself that once he returned from the mission to spend as much time as possible with her before she left for DC.

Luckily he made it to HQ with a few minutes to spare before Officer's Call. As he quickly took his seat he noticed the slight smile on Duke's face which was offset by the look of disapproval on General Bradshaw's. He wondered if they knew of his reconciliation with Alison. He flashed back to the first time he went into OC the morning after spending the night in her room. They had tried to act as inconspicuous as possible, but he had been convinced that Duke and the others knew exactly what had happened.

He turned his attention to the OC once it started and he learned that the timetable to his mission had moved up by twelve hours. He frowned as he considered the repercussions. Carrying out their work under a cover of darkness eliminated some of the risk of alerting the enemy and ending up in a firefight. However, it also made him question the legitimacy of the mission that the Jugglers had insisted they had.

He tuned out the conversation around him as he focused instead on his mission game plan. Flint guessed that if Duke, Beachhead and the other field commanders knew the kind of thoughts he had in the crunch time hours leading up to a mission, they would definitely accuse him of overthinking the situation. But he was a man who didn't like surprises, so he liked to try and anticipate everything and anything that could go wrong. So he considered everything from weather conditions, to terrain, to fatigue level and more.

Flint made a mental list of bullet points he wanted to go over with the three men assigned to his team. He planned on meeting with them once he received the updated dossier from Chuckles. Satisfied that he was mentally prepared he turned his attention to the personal repercussions of the departure time change. On the way in, he and Alison discussed dinner plans which would now have to be canceled. He hoped that she wouldn't be too disappointed in the news. The positive aspect was that he now had a better chance of being home in plenty of time for her ultrasound.

After the meeting wrapped up, Flint followed Chuckles back to his office. "Did you get a chance to update the file?" Flint asked.

With a nod, Chuckles handed him the paperwork. Flint smiled. Usually, if Scarlett or Lady Jaye had been making the report they would have given him a verbal summary. But Chuckles seemed to rely more on the written word.

Taking a seat at what he still considered Alison's desk, Flint scanned through the paperwork. He made notations to jot down some of his earlier thoughts. He was satisfied that he was completely prepared for the mission. However, he still didn't like it. There was some risk involved, but it wasn't inherently dangerous. The Joe team had been asked for a "favor" from the Jugglers. Intelligence had uncovered a very active drug cartel in Central Mexico with an apparent direct shipment line to the southern United States.

The US government had first tried to resolve the situation diplomatically. But the Mexican ambassador swore that they would handle any wrongdoings on their own. So the US watched from afar for a few weeks until they received evidence that not only had the drug trade not been stopped, but it was even more robust than it had been. So they asked the Joes to step in and shut down the operation.

A knock on the door interrupted Flint's thoughts. He looked up and noticed at some point Chuckles had left, leaving him alone in the office. He called out for the knocker to enter. Duke walked in and asked, "Are you ready for this?"

"I guess," Flint answered less than enthusiastically.

Duke grabbed one of the unused chairs and brought it to the desk. "What's the matter? You got a bad feeling about it?"

"Not exactly," Flint said. "I know we can handle it. I just feel like this is something more suited for the DEA than the GI Joe team."

"I hear you. But we have the convenient excuse the government is looking for. Mexico hates Cobra as much as we do, so they didn't hesitate to give us the okay to come in to follow up on a potential Cobra sighting. And if it just so happens that instead of finding Cobra, you run into the cartel the US wants eliminated, well that's just lucky for us."

Flint grumbled in response. "It just seems like a slippery slope. I don't like the idea of making up Cobra sightings every time the government wants us to infiltrate a country. Aren't you afraid this is just the beginning of us being pawns for the Jugglers?"

"Of course I am. But right now we need to play along. If by doing this they hold off on slashing our budget even further, than I consider it a small price to pay."

Flint didn't agree with Duke, but he wasn't going to continue to argue the point. Luckily Duke seemed more than willing to change the subject. "So I noticed you disappeared with Alison last night. I hope it was a much better evening than the previous one."

Flint couldn't help but grin. "It was. We had a good long talk, and finally straightened out our issues. We spent the night at the apartment together, and I think we're going to be okay. I don't know what you said to her, but thank you."

Duke leaned over and patted him on the shoulder. "There was never a question about her devotion to you. She just needed to see that there wasn't a conspiracy against her. I'm happy for you two. Now try not to screw it up."

Flint smiled. "I'm going to do my best." He leaned back into his chair. "I know we still have some things to figure out, and the next few months are going to be a pretty good upheaval, but I'm optimistic."

"So should I pencil in a wedding date?"

"That's one of the things on the figure it out list. I do still want to get married as soon as possible, but we haven't talked dates." Flint was aware that he still needed to give the ring back to Alison, but he wasn't sure exactly what the protocol was. He didn't want to just casually hand it back to her, but he wasn't sure if he needed to officially propose again. Either way, he was going to take care of that as soon as he got back from the mission.

Flint continued to dwell on his plans for the future so when Duke stood up he stopped him. "Con, I need to ask you a favor. If something happens to me, please make sure Alison and the baby are taken care of."

"Dash, of course. Regardless of what happened to her with regards to the Joe team, she's still family to me and I'm sure every other member here. And we protect our own."

"Thank you, I appreciate that."

Duke sat back down and looked at Flint with concern. "What brought this on? Are you sure you aren't having second thoughts about the mission?"

"Nothing out of the ordinary. The risk is always there, but I'm learning that it weighs heavier on you when you know you have a family waiting on you. And you just never know what's going to happen."

Duke rubbed at his chest. "That's the truth."

Flint patted Duke's shoulder. "And one last request. I've been good about not divulging too much about this mission, but I did tell her that it should be a quick one. Since her ultrasound is scheduled for Friday, can you let her know if I get delayed?"

"I'll keep her informed as best I can."

Flint stood up. "That's all I can ask for. I have a lot to do over the next few hours, so I will see you on the tarmac at 1600."

* * *

Alison had never handled boredom well, and the previous twelve hours had been no exception. She had returned to the apartment the previous evening after Flint had left on his mission. She was still tired from all of the excitement of the past couple of weeks, and had fallen asleep early. Which meant she had woken up fairly early. Flint had assured her that he was going to be home that night, so at first she thought a day spent lounging around the apartment watching daytime TV and finishing the novel she had started in La Jolla sounded glorious.

But by mid-morning she had realized it was anything but. Nothing on television held her interest and anytime she looked at her book she was reminded of the cold afternoon on the beach when she was convinced her life was falling apart. She should have been happy that she and Flint had reconciled, but she couldn't seem to shake some of the lingering doubts.

After the emotionally draining roller coaster she had been on during the days after her firing, she promised herself that she would put any further soul searching on hold. So for the first day of her reconciliation with Flint she let herself just enjoy their time together without analyzing every moment.

Thanks to the mission schedule being moved up, they hadn't spent a lot of time together but she had to admit, what time they did have had been very enjoyable. It should have been proof that their reconciliation was the right call. But Alison was afraid that it happened too quick and too easily. Both had made a point of not speaking specifically about what the future may bring. Of course they talked about Junior but neither one brought up the idea of trying to co-parent the baby while thousands of miles apart. And Alison was afraid that once that conversation started they were going to go right back into the same version of the fight they had had many times the last couple of weeks.

To distract herself from her thoughts and Flint's mission she turned her attention to the DC housing hunt. She assumed that they were going to fly to Washington at some point over the Christmas holiday to look at houses, but they hadn't made any hard and fast plans.

She had placed a call to the realtor that Hawk had recommended after she had formally accepted the job offer. Once that was done, she then decided to treat herself to lunch and yet another trip to the mall. Her previous trips were baby item browsing, but she finally bit the bullet on the one activity she'd been trying to avoid – maternity clothes shopping.

She had returned home a few hours later, relatively satisfied with her purchases. She had found a couple of cute outfits, and a few more that were tolerable. She was also happy that she had received no calls from HQ. She assumed no news was good news.

Thinking she only had a couple more hours to kill before Flint returned, she picked a movie, reheated her leftovers and then settled into the couch. She had expected to be interrupted by a phone call from Flint letting her know that he had returned, but she finished it with no word from him. She turned off the television and found herself alone with her thoughts yet again. But this time instead of worrying about her future with Flint, she began to worry about his current well-being.

Not having the exact details of where the mission was located or official return time was not helping her frame of mind. When eight PM hit, she was officially worried. Having a mission last longer than estimated wasn't unusual, but Flint told her that Duke would let her know if it did. She tried to convince herself that despite all that there was probably a very reasonable explanation as to why she hadn't heard from him. But she didn't buy it. She had a bad feeling that something had gone wrong.

She waited a few more minutes before she decided she couldn't take the unknown any more. She dialed Duke's number. "I was just debating calling you," he said once he answered.

Alison's heart seized. "Why? What happened?"

Duke sighed. "Al, I need you to stay calm."

"Why?" She asked again.

Duke was doing his best to ignore her question. "I just want you to know that we don't have any concrete evidence that Flint or his team are in any danger."

Alison exhaled sharply. "And I assume that also means that you don't have any proof that they are safe. So where are they? What happened?"

"I'm sorry, but you know I can't give you that information, especially over the phone. I'm sure they're fine, but if by morning…"

Alison cut him off. "Duke, please don't give me the hiding behind the rule book bullshit. You can't expect me to go all night without knowing anything."

"I have to follow protocol. You're on an unsecured line, do you really want to put the mission any more at risk?"

Alison knew Duke was right. "Fine. I'll be there in fifteen minutes. You can tell me as many details as you can first hand."

"Whoa, no you're not. Flint would never forgive me if something happened while I let you drive like a lunatic here. Stay there, I'll come to you and we'll talk."

Alison reluctantly agreed. The minutes passed by excruciatingly slow, but finally she saw headlights reflected in the living room window. Once Duke was settled at the dining room table he handed her a folder. "I debated long and hard on the ride over how much information to give you. Since you are still waiting on your clearances to be reinstated I could be court-martialed for giving you classified information. But since I suspect I'm going to need your help on this, I'm taking the risk. Everything about the mission is in that folder."

Alison flipped the file open. She began to read, but quickly stopped as she could not believe what she was seeing. She went back and reread the first few sentences before she looked up at Duke. "You're kidding about this, right?"

"I'm afraid not."

"Who the hell thought this was a good idea?"

Duke looked flustered. "Actually, none of us."

Alison fumed. "Fine, if semantics are going to be important in this conversation, let me ask it another way. Who approved this mission?"

"The order came down from the Jugglers. And they weren't exactly looking for our thoughts on the matter."

Alison pushed back from the table and stood up. "That's ridiculous. I can see General Bradshaw rolling over when the Jugglers order him to, but Duke, I thought you and Flint had more integrity than that."

"Flint argued quite a bit against it, and even though I agreed it was a shitty mission I convinced him it had to be done for the good of the Joe team."

Alison exhaled sharply. That was the phrase that had haunted her existence the last few months. But this time instead of it costing her career, it could end up costing Flint his life. She shook her head as she looked at Duke. She was so disgusted with him she couldn't form any of the questions that were running through her head.

Duke walked over to her. "Alison, I want you to understand something. Neither one of us liked this mission because of the political and moral ramifications to the Joe team. But we also agreed that despite that, it was a low risk mission. I made sure yesterday that Flint still felt the same way, or I would have pulled the plug on it. I know you're pissed, and you have every right to be, but I want you to help me figure out what went wrong."

Alison knew Duke was right. She could continue to take out her frustrations on him later. But right now, Flint needed her. She sat back at the table and continued to read through the report. She finished the first page. "This seems overly simplified. Let me guess, this is the dossier that Jugglers provided you."

Duke nodded. "And because we're not totally incompetent, the next few pages outline our own research into the mission including a list of potential pitfalls."

Alison continued reading. "Did this come from Chuckles?"

"Mostly, with Falcon overseeing it. The rest was added during our pre-mission briefs."

When Alison finished, she had to give credit to Chuckles. He did an extremely thorough job. Although there was one potential risk that hadn't been identified. "Did anyone think that the Jugglers might be setting the team up?"

Duke went silent for a moment before he slowly nodded. "That was discussed in depth, but we didn't want to have a written record of that possibility."

At least they were smart about that. "Okay, so tell me what happened. I assume they landed okay?"

"Yes. Flint called in as soon as the transport dropped them off at the LZ. He said the area was clear, but they had to use the chopper's radio to boost their signal to us. He assumed the weather was to blame, and he warned us that they may have a problem reaching out to us at the agreed check-in times. So when they missed their first one, I didn't think too much of it. There was an unintelligible garbled message at the second one, and then that was it."

"What kind of time frame are we talking about? How long have they been considered missing?"

"Their targets were about a three-hour hike from where they landed. We guessed that if everything went well it would take eight hours to complete the mission, maybe a few hours more if there were issues."

Something was bothering Alison, but first she still needed to establish the timeline. "What time did they land?"

"About 2030 last night."

Alison's mouth dropped open as she looked at her watch. "So at best case they've been missing for nearly twenty-four hours? And you're just telling me now?"

"It's not like we've been just sitting around with our thumbs up our asses. Once we suspected there was a problem we put the team to work. I didn't know how much Flint told you, so I was waiting until either you called me or I knew for sure there was an issue."

"Well now that I know, I just need a couple of minutes to pack a bag."

"Where are you going?" Duke asked dumbly.

"Back with you to HQ."

"Oh no, that's not a good idea. Trust me when I say that we're working the problem. Stay here tonight, and I'll give you an update first thing tomorrow morning."

"That's funny. You can't really expect me to just stay home and wait for news from you."

While Duke continued to argue the point, Alison tuned him out as she went to the bedroom to pack what she needed. She briefly thought about the irony that after two days of packing things up to move out of her room, she had to now bring a bag back. Once she was done, she walked past Duke towards the front door. "Let's go. Either you take me there, or I'm going to drive myself."

Duke begrudgingly followed her out and led her to his car. Once they were on the road, Alison asked the question that had bothered her earlier. "Isn't two hours an awfully optimistic estimate on how long it would take to take down a cartel?"

Duke kept his eyes on the road. "We had no intention of taking down the cartel. Once we threw out the possibility that the Jugglers were setting us up, we changed the parameters of the mission. We still wanted to disrupt or even destroy the drug trade, so we chose three fairly unprotected targets that would cause a good amount of damage. That too we kept out of the written version."

Alison nodded. At least she felt better that the Joe team hadn't been completely idiotic over the mission. "What assets are we using to help track them down?"

Duke grimaced. "Alison, I'm bringing you to HQ against my better judgment. General Bradshaw is going to have a conniption once he finds out you're involved."

"I can handle General Bradshaw. And besides, you said you're going to need my help."

"That's true. But I had hoped to use you in more of a consultant role."

Alison silently fumed. What Duke meant was that he wanted her to stay on the sideline, waiting for him to come to her with a question. But arguing the point further with Duke was going to be a waste of time, as she knew in the end he would bow to the general's wishes. However, she was not going to let General Bradshaw stop her from trying to help find Flint and his team.

They arrived at HQ a short time later, and went straight to the computer room. It was a bustle of activity and Alison noticed that a few did a double take as they looked at her before they went back to their work.

Falcon waved them over. "Perfect timing. We just got the latest satellite imagery."

Duke headed to the computer screens while Alison went to the printers. She had always preferred the hard copy version of the images. Chuckles was also waiting by the printer, and once it finished they both reached for the paper. Chuckles smiled at her and waved at her to continue. She wanted to but she knew she had to take a step back and let Chuckles do his job. So she begrudgingly handed him the printouts.

She followed him back to the table and began to scan through the available images. She wanted to familiarize herself with the terrain Flint was working in, so she focused on the images that had been collected prior to the mission.

"It looks like they never made it to their first target," Falcon remarked.

Alison looked up as Chuckles nodded. He passed her the newest imagery. It only took a quick look at the before and after photos to see that very little was different between the two. She didn't like the idea of the team being ambushed at the beginning of the mission, but she tried to focus on the positive aspects. "That should narrow down the search area." When all of the men frowned at her statement she asked why.

"There had been bad storms in the area in the days leading up to the mission," Duke said. "Flint told us during his initial check-in that during their landing he could see that their main route had basically been washed away. He was pretty confident that they could find another way, but we're not sure what that is. He was supposed to update us once he found a clear path, but that was the garbled message I told you about."

Alison started to ask another question but she was interrupted by the arrival of General Bradshaw. "Ms. Hart-Burnett, care to tell me what you are doing on my base in my communications room?"

She answered the question truthfully. "Duke informed me that Flint's team ran into some trouble, and I thought I could lend a hand."

General Bradshaw folded his arms across his chest and glared at her. "Which would be acceptable if you still worked here, but you don't."

Alison felt her anger level start to rise. And she was sorely tempted to go a couple of rounds with General Bradshaw. But she knew that if she had any hope of not getting thrown off the base she had to reach out to the general's softer side. If he had one. "Sir, I know it is wrong of me to be here. But once I heard the team went missing I had hope that my many years of experience here could prove helpful."

"Ms. Hart-Burnett, even if I was inclined to ignore everything that happened these last few weeks, you don't have the security clearance to be here."

Breaker cleared his throat. "Actually sir, she does. Her reinstated clearances came through late this afternoon."

Alison was surprised by the news. She had heard it was going to take at least a week if not longer to get all of the paperwork done. And she wondered why she hadn't heard of her change in status sooner. Breaker seemed to sense her thoughts. "I meant to let you both know earlier today, but with the news about Flint's team being in trouble and I got sidetracked."

General Bradshaw stared at her a few moments. "Fine. You can stay. But if I catch any hint that you are interfering in any way with the rescue mission, I won't hesitate to have your forcefully removed from my base."

"Yes, sir," Alison replied. "It won't be an issue."

General Bradshaw asked for a sit-rep. Duke began to explain that the newest satellite images had just come in, when the general's phone rang. He looked at it, sighed and apologized. "I have to take this," he said and then walked out of the room.

Alison took the opportunity to go over to Breaker. "Thank you for speaking up. That was great timing that my credentials came in earlier today."

Breaker looked sheepish. "I hope you don't mind, but I kind of fibbed on that. They haven't come in yet."

Alison was shocked. "You lied for me?"

Breaker began to chew harder on the gum he always seemed to have in his mouth. "I don't like what happened to you. And when I heard him giving you a hard time, I just decided to try and help you out. I understand if you're mad, and if you want to come clean I can tell him I made a mistake."

"No, Breaker, I, I'm just, I" Alison couldn't finish the sentence. Instead she hugged him. "Thank you."

Breaker's kindness combined with her worry over Flint combined with the all-around stress of the past few weeks suddenly caught up with her. Her tears started quietly, and despite her efforts to clamp down on them to prevent a scene, a sob escaped her lips.

Breaker's arms tightened around her. "We're going to find him."

Alison felt a hand on her shoulder and she pulled out of Breaker's grasp. "Alison, it's late," Duke said. "How about you get some sleep, and I'll come find you if there's something new to report."

"No, I'm fine," she replied as she wiped at her eyes. She did though need to get a hold of her emotions if she was going to be of any use that night. She eyed her bag that she had brought with her from the apartment. "I just need a few minutes to regroup."

Duke nodded. "Take your time."

The walk to her room helped Alison get control of herself. She used the bathroom to freshen up, and just the simple act of splashing cold water on her face helped her as well. She pushed aside her fears and instead focused on what she needed to do to help find Flint and his team. She made a mental list of questions she had, and persons and locations she wanted to research. She had been a part of many rescue missions in the past, all of them successful. And this time was going to be no different.


	2. Chapter 2

Doctor Mindbender looked upon the slumped over test subject with an air of regret. Not for the wretched fool that had make the mistake of volunteering to help with the experiment. Doctor Mindbender had long since come to terms with the idea that true scientific breakthroughs only happened when sacrifices were made. And in the grand scheme of things, the man in the chair had sacrificed little. Granted, the man had just experienced a very unpleasant evening, but the machine caused no lasting physical damage. At worst case, the subject may be saddled with more frequent and disturbing nightmares in the days and weeks to come.

No, what was weighing on the doctor's mind was the very disappointing fact that he was a far cry from where he expected to be at this point in his life. He had spent many nights reviewing his past, and focusing on the missteps along the way. He regretted that he had wasted so much time in the pursuit of a normal life. He still shuddered every time he thought about his orthodontic practice, staring at the teeth of Middle America's bratty kids.

He consoled himself with the idea that if he hadn't wasted those years, then he probably wouldn't have been in a position to join Cobra. Which used to console him. But he had spent the last few months debating whether that helped or hindered his lifelong goals. Of course, being able to say that you cloned a man from the DNA of the greatest leaders of history was a hell of an accomplishment. Not one that would ever be recognized by the scientific community due to their strict adherence to ethics, but he guessed that he was still probably the envy of many.

However, the fact that his perfect Serpentor creation had ended up with so many flaws was such a baffling idea to the scientist. After the humiliating and total defeat of Cobra in the Himalayas, Doctor Mindbender escaped to the underground to spend some time rehashing all of the data collected during his time with Cobra to try and figure out where he had gone so wrong.

Being a former member of a ruthless terrorist organization meant that he couldn't return to the United States. So he settled on a neighboring country, and made a home with a gang known for its nefarious dealings. It took time to proverbially lick his wounds, but once he was finished, he emerged a stronger, more determined man. He knew he still possessed a great power to alter DNA, and he knew there was at least one man out there that needed his services. All he had to do was find him.

He had made the decision to risk a trip back to the States to pay his former associates, Xamot and Tomax, a visit when by sheer luck, a better plan had presented itself. The previous day he had overheard talk that a rival gang was going to be paid a visit by the G.I. Joe team. He had convinced his newfound friends that much could be gained if they intercepted the team and took them prisoner.

It had gone better than he expected. The Joe team had been ambushed well before they had reached their target. The four Joes had put up a gallant fight, but they were soon overrun by the two dozen mercenaries. They were currently being held in makeshift cells while Doctor Mindbender had run through the final tests of his machine.

He left the room functioning as his laboratory. He asked the first man he saw to remove the unconscious test subject from the machine. He then walked through the underground passageways until he arrived at the cells. He remained in the shadows so the Joes couldn't see him. He recognized all four men – Flint, Roadblock, Zap, and Bazooka. He was pleased with the group. He even knew which Joe he wanted to start with. Doctor Mindbender was curious if the Warrant Officer still had the same weakness. He waved over one of the two men acting as prison wardens and told him he wanted Flint rendered unconscious and brought to his lab. His sessions went better if the subject wasn't aware of what was occurring.

He returned to his laboratory and a few minutes later an incapacitated Flint was brought in. Flint was strapped to the gurney, and Doctor Mindbender placed the device on his head. Once it was secure, the doctor walked over to his computer setup to wait for the results. He knew that Flint was currently experiencing a mental psych evaluation. Doctor Mindbender had determined through past tests that this kind of setup was the quickest way to get the answers he was looking for. Usually humans were preprogrammed with a desire to talk about themselves, so he would trick them into thinking they were having a conversation with a psychologist.

His machine was capable of probing his subject's brain to look for information, but that usually took longer. Especially in a case like Flint's where he knew exactly the questions he wanted to ask. The Joes' with public relationships always made his task of finding a weak link easier. In theory he could also just probe his subjects' brains for the answers he wanted, but there wasn't any fun in that. Besides, he was always fascinated with finding one's breaking point.

So Doctor Mindbender programmed his machine to mentally ask Flint questions about Lady Jaye. Several months had passed since their last encounter, so it was possible that their romantic situation had changed. But as the data flowed in, the doctor was surprised at the results. And he knew he had a very easy emotional torture interrogation ahead.

* * *

Flint blinked as he slowly woke up. He was feeling very groggy, as he tried to shake off the remnants of the dream he had. In it he had been sent for a psych evaluation. He had spent several minutes speaking with the psychologist, but the only questions he remembered were about Alison.

His legs and arms were shackled, and he was lying on some kind of cot. He looked around the room, but due to the dim lighting, he couldn't make out any features. The only thing he knew was that at some point he had been moved from his cell. The lights suddenly came on, temporarily blinding him. Once his vision returned, he saw that he was in a large room which looked like a hospital's ER. There was medical equipment spread around, as well as a half dozen empty beds around him.

Flint was disoriented and he tried to figure out how he had gotten from the underground cell, to this higher class looking medical facility. He started to wonder if he had blacked out during a rescue attempt, and if he was in a hospital back home. But that didn't explain why he was shackled to the bed.

The door opened, and the man that walked in only brought more questions. "Doctor Mindbender?" Flint asked out loud.

"Ah, good. You remember me. Saves me the time of a long winded introduction."

"Why are you here?"

Doctor Mindbender chuckled. "Do you even know where here is?" When Flint didn't answer, he continued. "I thought so. I asked my Mexican friends to handle you with care. Do you have any memory of the drive across the border into Arizona?"

Flint continued to remain silent, but the idea of being back in Arizona was raising alarm bells in his head.

Doctor Mindbender grinned. "I can see the wheels turning. Right now you are hoping that the fact I brought you to Arizona is just a coincidence, and not because I may want you closer to loved ones. Such as a pregnant girlfriend." The doctor then grabbed at a Walkie-Talkie on his belt. "Bring her in."

Flint's heart seized in his chest. "No! You bastard!" But any further insults died on his lips as the doors opened, and Alison was dragged into the room. He uselessly yelled at the two guards to leave her alone as they strapped her to one of the empty beds.

"I have to congratulate you, Flint. I see you have been pretty busy during your down time. And I'm sure you want nothing to happen to your little family you have here. So I'm going to ask you one simple question. If you answer it correctly, I will let you and Lady Jaye go and you will be free to raise what I'm sure will be a beautiful baby. However, if you don't answer me to my satisfaction, I'm afraid there are going to be consequences. Do you understand me?"

Flint stared Doctor Mindbender down, but he refused to answer him.

"Flint, don't make this difficult right from the start." Doctor Mindbender walked over to Alison. She began to fight against her restraints. He put a hand on her head. "I know several techniques that can inflict a great amount of pain on her and the baby, without any lasting side effects on her. I can't say for sure about the baby, as the studies I've read seemed to be mixed on how much pain an unborn child can take."

"Fine! I understand! Now ask your question!" Flint knew that whatever it was, he was going to answer it, all consequences be damned. It was one thing to resist while Alison was in danger, which would have been hard enough, but he was not going to let any harm come to his baby.

"Where is Cobra Commander?"

Flint initially felt relief as he knew he wasn't going to be giving up any classified information that would threaten the United States, because the honest answer was that he didn't know. But then he realized the implications his non-answer would bring. "I don't know. And that's the truth. The last sighting we had was when Roadblock saw him slither away in the Himalayas."

"But you have come across other Cobra members."

"Yes."

"And you want me to believe, that you've given no effort into finding Cobra Commander, who, with Serpentor dead, is once again the head of Cobra."

"Believe me, we want to find him. But if he has reappeared somewhere, we don't know anything about it."

Doctor Mindbender nodded. He turned around and pulled out a syringe. "That's not good enough. Flint, I'm sorry, but you didn't give me the answer I wanted. In this syringe is a drug known as digoxin. It's a common drug used in abortions. Once administered, it gives the unborn child an instant fatal heart attack."

Alison started to cry out at the same time that Flint did. "Doctor, no! I answered your question. I don't know where Cobra Commander is."

"Like I said. That's not good enough. I needed an answer to my question, and you didn't provide one."

Alison tried to sit up in her bed. "Dash, please. Don't let him do this."

Flint replayed the many meetings over the last few months about potential Cobra Commander sightings. But none had proved fruitful. "Doctor, we've looked but came up empty each time. I can give you a list of places we looked," he said desperately.

"I'm not interested in a list of your failings." Doctor Mindbender walked over to Alison. He lifted her shirt and placed an item on her abdomen. The sound, that Flint recognized as his baby's heartbeat, filled the room. "I want you two to listen in as your child dies."

Flint let out a guttural roar as he sat up and fought against the chains. Despite the pain of them digging into his arms and feet, he was no closer to freeing himself. He watched in horror as Doctor Mindbender took the syringe and stabbed it into Alison's abdomen. She let out a cry. Within moments, Flint, with tears streaming down his cheeks, listened as his baby's heartbeat first slowed and then went silent.

Alison collapsed against the bed sobbing. Flint too went slack, as the fight left him. Doctor Mindbender turned towards him. "I'm going to bring you back to your cell. I want you to think about what just happened. I killed your infant, but the abortion isn't complete. If Lady Jaye doesn't get medical attention soon, she will die giving birth to your dead child. So you may want to reconsider your answer. After all, as long as you have her, you could always try again."

Flint knew that as soon as the guards came to move him to his cell, he was going to attack. He didn't care if he died in the process, but he was going to kill Doctor Mindbender and anyone that got in his way. But he suddenly got incredibly tired. And despite his best effort to fight it, he fell asleep.

He woke with a start back in the familiar cell. He saw Roadblock sitting up against the wall next to him. "Where's Lady Jaye?" he asked.

Roadblock gave him a puzzled look. "What are you talking about? She should be back home."

"I know. But Mindbender got his hands on her. I think," Flint swallowed against the lump in his throat. "Never mind that. I have to get to her. She needs help."

"Flint, what did they do to you? Our buddies came to get you a little earlier, and then brought you back only a couple of minutes ago."

"That's what I'm saying. Roadblock, they took me to Arizona where they tortured her. If I don't come up with an answer on Cobra Commander's current whereabouts, Doctor Mindbender is going to kill her."

"Arizona? That's impossible. You were gone an hour tops. Maybe the drug they gave you caused a hallucination?"

Flint willed himself to calm down and to grasp what Roadblock was saying. He began to hope and pray that the machine gunner was right, and he was just a victim of a drugging. But the memory seemed too fresh, too real. However, the more he woke up and calmed down, the details started to fade away as nightmares usually did.

* * *

Alison stared at her computer screen. She had reached another dead end. She leaned back in her chair, and stretched out. Her neck and shoulders were killing her from the hunched over position she had been in for the last couple of hours. She stood up, and continued her stretches. She took a walk over to where Chuckles was sitting and asked him if he had any more leads to hunt down. He shook his head no.

Alison looked at the clock and realized she had officially put in an all-nighter. She knew the smart call would be to go lie down, and approach the situation again once she was rested. But that felt like she was giving up on Flint, and she couldn't do it. Besides, she was too keyed up to get any sleep.

Falcon walked into the room. "OC is starting in a few minutes. I want to bring the general the latest information we have."

Alison grabbed the papers she had been working from, stacked them, and handed them to Falcon. "Those are my notes. I am now extremely well versed in that region of the world, but unfortunately we are no closer to finding Flint and the others."

"That's not good. Have you at least pinpointed where they went missing?"

Chuckles shook his head and the news infuriated Falcon. "How is that possible? We're connected to the best intelligence gathering agency in the world. And look at all of the computing power in this room. You mean to tell me with all of these resources we can't find a small team of Joes?"

Alison was not in a frame of mind to deal with Falcon's temper tantrum. "Falcon, calm down, you're not helping the situation. Out of everyone in this room, I have the most motivation to find Flint and the others. Don't you think I've tried everything at this point?"

"Yeah, man, back off," Mainframe said as he walked over. "Everyone here has spent all night working our asses off, which is more than we can say for you."

"I'm going to guess based on this discussion, that you have nothing new to report?" Duke asked as he stepped in the room, instantly ending the argument.

"No," Falcon said. "How about you?"

"Unfortunately I do. And none of it's good. General Bradshaw just got off the horn with DC. Right now the team's status is remaining 'unknown'. But in about seventy-two hours, unless we uncover something to change their mind, they're going to officially declare them MIA."

Falcon threw up his hands. "That's ridiculous. Do they expect the general public to believe that an elite team of G.I. Joes just got lost while on a walk in a Mexican jungle?"

"Yes. Because most of the general public will believe anything that comes out of the mouths of the attractive morning news anchors," Mainframe muttered.

Alison shook her head. "And I'm going to guess that the reason why they are going with 'MIA' is because the term 'POW' would piss off our southern neighbors?"

"Exactly," Duke answered. "But despite this news, the general wanted me to tell you that this doesn't change our game plan. We're still going ahead and chasing down any lead that we can. However, I want everyone to take a break. You all look wiped out. So take a walk, get something to eat, grab a nap if you can. Falcon, I'll meet you in the conference room."

Alison watched Falcon, Mainframe and Chuckles walk out, but she stayed put. "Alison, you too. I especially meant that order for you. I know you're worried about Flint, but he wouldn't want you to jeopardize the baby."

"I know. It's hard, but I am trying not to overdo it. I'm going to grab something to eat and then go lay down. But I have a question for you. I assume that before they change Flint and the other's status, they'll need to notify their next of kin?"

Duke nodded so she continued. "And even though I'm pregnant with Flint's next of kin, I'm going to assume I don't count."

Duke again nodded. "Alison, I'm sorry."

She waved him off. "Duke, believe me, I understand. I've been on the other side enough times to know explicitly what the military rules are in this situation. I just ask, if it's okay, that if and when the time comes that I be the one to give his mother and father a call?"

"Are you sure you want to put yourself through that?"

"Not really. But when we visited them over Thanksgiving, Dash said he wanted to make a point of us staying in closer contact with them. This is not exactly what either one of us had in mind, but I still need to be the one to talk to them."

"Okay. Hopefully that phone call won't be needed."

Alison walked out with Duke, and then headed to the cafeteria. Nothing looked appetizing, but she knew she needed to eat. She settled on toast and an orange juice. She brought it back to her room, and once she was done with her pitiful breakfast she laid down.

After a frustrating hour of tossing and turning, Alison finally decided to get out of bed. She was still tired, but her mind was just too keyed up to allow her to sleep. She walked into the bathroom, where she hoped a hot shower would rejuvenate her.

She stripped out of her clothes, but before she got into the shower she stopped to look at herself in the mirror. She rubbed her hand over her protruding stomach. As she began to wonder what her baby looked like, she suddenly remembered her ultrasound appointment. She was at a loss at what the current time was, so she grabbed her phone. She let out a sigh of relief when she saw that she hadn't missed it.

But she then quickly made the decision to postpone the scan. As anxious as she was to see her baby, to make sure he or she was healthy and to hopefully finally reveal the gender, she didn't want to do it without Flint. So she called the office to reschedule.

Once the receptionist picked up the phone, Alison identified herself and asked to postpone the ultrasound.

"That's fine," the receptionist responded. "What day would you like to reschedule to?"

Alison wasn't sure so she tried to explain the situation. "My," she began but then hesitated on the terminology to describe Flint. 'Boyfriend' seemed too immature. 'Lover' too uncouth, especially in her current situation. And thanks to her temper tantrum, 'fiancé' no longer applied. For the second time that day, she had the thought that her life would be a lot easier once they got married. And then she was hit with the realization that they may never have the chance.

She told the receptionist she would have to get back to her and then hung up the phone. Her eyes filled with tears as she began to comprehend the gravity of the situation. She had been so wrapped up in throwing herself into the search for the missing team, that she never gave herself a chance to fully grasp the idea that Flint was missing. And there was the very real possibility that he was never coming home.

Which meant that it didn't matter when she rescheduled her ultrasound, he would not be there to learn whether or not he was correct about fathering a son. And that was only the first of many milestones he would miss.

Alison shook her head to stop the downward spiral of thoughts. She was not ready to give up on Flint or the rest of the team. Even if she couldn't go into the field herself, she was going to do everything she could to make sure that her child's father was brought home to her.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Thank you for all of the very nice reviews! I love reading them!

Flint had lost all track of time. He had no idea if he had been held prisoner for hours or days. All he knew was that he was stuck in a perpetual nightmare. He had also lost track of the number of times he had watched Alison and the baby tortured. Each scenario had been different but the end result of each was the same. The baby had died while Alison's life hung in the balance.

The rational part of Flint that was still functioning tried to tell him that none of it had been real. It was only a ploy of Doctor Mindbender to get him to reveal Cobra Commander's location. Alison and the baby were most likely safe and sound back at home. But he had no way to know for sure, and he couldn't help but focus on the awful images that filled his brain.

The approaching footsteps told Flint that he was facing yet another round of torture. He had long since given up fighting back as each time he did, he had been hit with a powerful sedative that knocked him out cold. Although the last couple of times, he noticed that he had only been given a partial dose before he was unlocked from his chains. He wasn't sure if that was due to his captors getting cocky or from their desire to not drag his unconscious body through the passageways.

"Vamamos," the taller man said once his cohort stabbed Flint with the needle and unlocked him.

Flint felt the overpowering wave of weariness as the drug entered his system. His movements became sluggish. He stumbled down the tunnel, lost in his own world, until a violent shaking temporarily jarred him awake.

He had a hard time concentrating, but he could see the terror on his captors faces. He had a rudimentary understanding of Spanish, but between his drugged state and the rapid fire way the two were talking, he couldn't understand a word.

The two glanced at him before they took off running down the tunnel. It took Flint's tortured, drug-riddled mind to realize they had left him alone. He looked up and down the passageway. He could hear a commotion echoing down the tunnel from some unknown location.

He debated what to do. Whether to go back to where the other Joes were held, or to try and find a way to send a message to Alison and the Joes. He had no idea how much time he had, so he decided on the latter option. He continued to slowly stumble down the tunnel until he was hit with a terrible thought. He wondered if he was actually in another one of Mindbender's scenarios and that he was going to come across a bruised and battered Alison.

He remained frozen in place until his training finally kicked in. Despite his fears, he had a job to do. He was responsible for the lives of the Joes under his command, and he needed to find help.

Somehow he managed to find the room where his interrogation sessions were held. Unfortunately, the room was sparse, with no way to communicate to the outside world. He figured, though, that Doctor Mindbender's base of operation had to be nearby. A walk down yet another tunnel revealed a primitive laboratory.

Flint hesitated a few moments, making sure that the doctor wasn't inside. The room was empty and Flint assumed that Mindbender had either run towards or away the commotion. He walked in, and there among a desk filled with papers was a phone.

Flint took a step towards it, but stumbled as the room began to violently spin. He was overcome with weariness and he slumped to the floor. He knew he had to call Alison or the Joes, but he was so tired. If he just took a nap for a few minutes he could regain his senses. With that thought he fell into a sleep that was filled with nightmares.

* * *

Alison continued to stare at one of the screen shots of the satellite imagery, until the photo blurred out of focus. She closed her eyes and rubbed at her temple. She had a dull pulsing headache, and she wished she could swallow a few ibuprofen pills to chase away the pain. Other than a few breaks for quick meals or power naps, the computer room had been her home for the last three days. There were only a few hours left before the Jugglers would officially declare the team missing.

She felt a hand on her shoulder and she startled. She looked up and saw Mainframe staring at her with concern. "Alison, why don't you take a break?"

She was going to argue that she was fine, but the reality was that she wasn't. She knew time was running out but she was exhausted, and she realized she was no help to anyone at the moment. So instead she nodded. "I'm going blurry eyed staring at these images. Maybe you'll see something different. If you do, call me. I need to go lie down for a little bit."

On her way out, she noticed Duke was sitting at one of the monitors. "I thought you went to bed hours ago."

"I did. But I can never sleep when I know I have guys in trouble. So I came back here to see what was going on."

Alison nodded. "Flint's the same way. The time he had to lie to Dial-Tone about his reenlistment devastated him. I swear he paced that whole night. I was actually glad he was sent over to Scotland to keep an eye on him."

"That's the key. You want to do something to help, and when you can't you feel so useless."

"I know the feeling," Alison admitted.

Duke pointed to her midsection. "Well at least you have a good excuse."

"You have one too," Alison pointed out.

Duke grunted. "I don't know. Maybe. But I wonder if my problems are truly due to physical limitations or if it's just all mental."

Alison didn't know how to respond. It was obvious that Duke had some issues to work through, but she didn't have the energy or desire to play the role of counselor at the moment. Her phone rang, giving her the out she needed. But then as she realized it was close to 2AM, which was a very odd time for a phone call, she became concerned. "Hello?" she said hesitantly.

At first she heard nothing but static but then she heard a rustling, and then a croaked voice asked in a near whisper, "Alison?"

"Flint? Is that you? I'm here," she answered. The background noise in the computer room was interfering with her devoting her full attention to the other end of the phone call so she stepped into the hall.

"Thank God. I thought…You have to get help. Get to a doctor. I'm sorry, I couldn't stop him…" Flint then continued to mutter a series of nonsensical semi-sentences.

"Flint, you're not making any sense. I'm fine. I just want to know where you are."

"Don't know. There are tunnels. And a lab. He's going to come after you."

"Who is?"

"Mindbender. Alison, I'm so sorry. The baby. But, Cobra Commander, I don't know where he is."

Alison's heart broke as she wondered what kind of torture Flint had suffered. Especially if Doctor Mindbender was involved. Duke walked out of the computer lab and gave her a questioning look. She waved him off and turned her back on him. She couldn't be distracted from her conversation with Flint. She had to pick up on all the clues that she could.

"Flint, listen to me. Both Junior and I are fine. It's just a trick Mindbender is playing on you. So please, tell me anything that you can about where you are so we can come get you."

But it seemed Flint was too far gone to listen to any kind of reason. "Junior. Alison, I'm so sorry, I couldn't save him. But please, get the help you need." Flint trailed off into another round of nonsensical ramblings. Alison tried once more to get through to him, but she stopped when she heard a distant whistle in Flint's background.

"What's that noise?"

"I don't know. I think a shift change. But something's wrong," Flint whispered. "They're coming for me. I can't give him what he wants, so please get the help you need. I love you," he said before it sounded like the phone was dropped. A second whistle blew in the distance, and it was followed by another muffled commotion.

It took her overworked brain a few minutes to realize she was listening to a panicked conversation in Spanish. Her heart started to pound, and her adrenaline kicked in. The Spanish conversation had gotten softer, but she was still able to translate a snippet or two. She was fairly certain that two men were extremely agitated over some kind of incident and they were debating whether to deal with the prisoners or find their friends who had gone missing. Her heart began to pound harder.

The line suddenly went dead, and Alison called out Flint's name. Duke walked up behind her and put his hand on his shoulder. "That was Flint?"

She nodded. Once again her hand went to her temple. But instead of rubbing away a headache, she wanted to help herself replay the conversation. Duke asked her another question but she shook him off. She wanted to make sure she didn't forget or overlook any detail.

She raced back into the computer room and grabbed a pen and a pad of paper. She wanted to get the Mexican conversation written out before she forgot it. At that moment she was tremendously grateful for the ear for languages she had been blessed with. For as long as she could remember, she had always been able to not only understand a variety of different languages, but to mimic what she heard. It was why she had been drawn to, and good at acting, which then translated to being extremely skilled in her undercover career.

Once she was fairly certain she had transcribed the conversation correctly, she wrote down other details from the conversation. She then turned to Duke who was looking at her with concern.

"Alison, you're as white as a sheet, I'm taking you to your room."

She pulled out of his grasp. "No. I'm fine. Flint's not, but I am. He wasn't making any sense. He said Mindbender was there and it sounded like the doctor was torturing him. So he wasn't any help. But at the end of the conversation, I heard what I assume were his captors talking. They were speaking a form of Mexican Spanish. I understood most of it, but it was definitely one of the dialects. If I could figure out which one, maybe I can help narrow down where they are."

She walked over to one of the free work stations with Duke following behind her. "Plus I heard a couple of whistles. Flint made the comment that it was a shift change, which makes me wonder if they're in some kind of industrial complex."

She began a computer search to see if she could determine the exact translation and source of the conversation she heard. After a few moments she had her answer. As she suspected, the words she hadn't been able to readily translate had come from one of the dialects. She then pulled up a map where the dialect was commonly spoken. Unfortunately, it was one of the more common ones.

Duke looked over her shoulder. "'Leave him. We have to get help, there are men missing. Yes, but we can't tell the boss'" he read from her translated notes. "That's the conversation you heard?"

She nodded. "They were speaking Otomi. I gathered the gist of it while I was on the phone, but I needed help to translate some of the words."

"That's amazing," Duke commented.

"Not really," Alison answered with a sigh. "I was hoping that they were speaking one of the less common dialects, so that we would have a much smaller area to search." She tapped the screen. "This is a good chunk of central Mexico."

"Maybe. But we can still narrow it down. Based on where their mission started, I would guess they are somewhere in the northern section."

Alison nodded. She called up previous satellite footage to study the area. After another few minutes she shook her head again. She had initially been excited that she was chasing a lead. But she was starting to fear they were only grasping at straws. "The problem is most of the area is rural. I don't see anything that might suggest it has a big enough industrial area to justify having a whistle that signals a shift change."

Duke too studied the screen. "Does it have to be industrial? Maybe it's a large farm. Or even a mine."

Alison sighed. "That's very possible. But unfortunately that sums up this whole area. So we're no closer to figuring out where they are."

"That's not true. It may not seem like a lot, but this is quite a bit of fresh intel. Plus focus on the positives. If Flint was able to contact you, he's not currently being held prisoner. And knowing him, he's working on an escape plan right now. At the very least you must feel better to hear that he's alive and well."

"He may be alive, but he's not well. I don't know what Doctor Mindbender did to him, but he was so worked up he wasn't making any sense. So I'm afraid we're running out of time. We have to find out where they're being held prisoner." That said, she decided her nap could wait. However, when she stood up to get a drink of water, she started to sway on her feet.

"Whoa," Duke said as he caught her arm to steady her. "You need to get some rest. I know you want to help Flint, but you have someone else to think about as well."

Alison wanted to argue, but she knew Duke was right. She nodded and let Duke escort her to her room on base. He promised that he was going to continue to search while she slept. When they reached her door, she told him to wake her the minute he had some news.

She laid down on the bed, and as her mind began to replay the conversation with Flint, she was afraid once again she wasn't going to be able to fall asleep. However, her body's needs overruled her mind's desire. She was fast asleep within seconds.

She wasn't spared from a terrible series of dreams, though. She was so immersed in one that it took a few moments to realize the knocking she was hearing was actually coming from her door, and not the dream world. She sat up and was surprised to see that nearly six hours had passed. She then went to answer the door.

Duke greeted her with a grin and handed her a printout. "Alison, you really are a genius. Look what came through the news wires a couple of hours ago."

Alison looked down and saw the headline of a cave-in at a mine in Central Mexico. The implications hit her immediately. "So it wasn't a shift change whistle I heard, it was an alarm alerting them to the cave in. Those guys I heard talking weren't looking for Flint and the others, they wanted to help their missing comrades."

"That's the conclusion, Mainframe, Chuckles and I came to about an hour ago."

"You have to go to the general with this."

Duke put his hand up. "It's already done. Which is why I waited so long to wake you. General Bradshaw cleared us for the mission, because we have the perfect in now without upsetting the US and Mexican relations. After the cave-in news became public, the President immediately offered heavy machinery as well as search and rescue personnel to be sent to the area. What the Mexican government doesn't know is that there will be a few extra rescue personnel coming in to get their buddies out of there."

Alison smiled and hugged him tight. "See Duke, this is a hell of an accomplishment for two useless people."

"It is. And if you want to continue to help out, in about a half hour, you could sit in on the briefing I'm giving to the rescue team."

"Will General Bradshaw let me?"

"He will. He was very impressed with what you did last night."

"Oh yeah? Impressed enough to give me my job back?"

Duke shook his head. "I'm afraid not."

Alison shrugged. "Oh well. It was worth a shot. Let me take a shower and I'll meet you in the conference room."


	4. Chapter 4

Alison couldn't stop herself from pacing. When she had gotten the news that a mission was okayed, she had been under the impression that the team was going to head to Mexico within a few hours. But thanks to the bureaucratic red tape, it was two days later and the team was still waiting for clearance to leave.

The unknown was killing her. Reports from the site were extremely limited which only fueled all of the worst case scenarios that Alison had dreamt up. The fact that Flint hadn't attempted to contact her again was especially troubling.

As she made another lap around her room on base she fiddled with her engagement ring, which was her new nervous habit. Once they had learned that the rescue was going to be put on hold, Duke had insisted that she needed to go home. She had argued the point during the whole drive back, but once she was home she was glad to be there.

It was obvious that she had needed to catch up on her sleep by the fact that she laid down for a nap that afternoon and slept through until morning. Once she was awake, she immediately checked in with Duke who informed her they were still on hold. She channeled her nervous energy into cleaning up the apartment, and sorting out the items she wanted to take to DC.

While she was rummaging through the drawers of the nightstand in their bedroom she came across the engagement ring. It brought on a sobbing fit as she thought about the fights she had had with Flint and she replayed the moment she gave him the ring back.

Their reconciliation was only about a week old, and she wished they had had more time together before he had set out on the ill-fated mission. She reflected on the second thoughts she had the morning he had gone missing. If she needed any confirmation that they had made the right call, the fact that she was so deathly afraid and upset at the idea of losing him was the proof. She made the decision to put the ring back on. It was a symbolic gesture, but once Flint returned she would reaffirm her love to him and tell him that she was ready to make the commitment to him.

A knock on the door startled Alison from her thoughts. She opened the door to Cover Girl who told her that the team had finally been cleared to leave. Alison raced out to the tarmac and found General Bradshaw and Duke in conversation with Falcon in front of Wild Bill's Dragonfly and Lift-Ticket's Tomahawk. Lifeline and Doc were checking out their medical equipment in the DragonFly, Chuckles was flipping through his file, and Tunnel Rat seemed to be doing his best to pester the two pilots as they did their pre-flight routine.

Alison wanted to wish Falcon luck, but she continued to keep her distance from the general. He had been extremely lenient with her the last few days, and had given her free rein of the base. However, he had made it pretty clear that she was no longer a member of the Joe team. Instead she met with Chuckles to see if he had any last minute concerns.

Once General Bradshaw patted Falcon on the shoulder and then stepped away to talk to Lift-Ticket, Alison felt it was safe to approach. She stayed a few steps away from the brothers as they said their goodbyes. "Be safe out there, kid," Duke said.

"Don't worry about me, Duke." Falcon stopped and looked behind him. He smiled at Alison. "But I'm not coming back until I bring our boys home."

Alison nodded and whispered a thank you. Falcon climbed onboard the Tomahawk and then addressed Chuckles and Tunnel-Rat who were already seated.

Alison looked at the three members of the newest Rawhides and remarked, "It really is the changing of the guard."

Duke did a poor job of concealing his disappointment, but then he caught himself. "You don't need to worry about the success of the mission. Falcon and the others are extremely qualified. I just hate watching someone do the job I should be doing."

Alison glanced at Chuckles. "Yeah, I know the feeling." Duke was right that Chuckles should be fine. But he still lacked the experience that she and Scarlett had, and Alison prayed that wouldn't make the difference in the rescue mission. But there was nothing she could do, so she just had to have faith in the situation.

Duke put his arm around her shoulders and she leaned into him. At least she knew she had someone to commiserate with until the Joes returned.

* * *

Alison waited not so patiently for the first sign of the arriving transports. She still couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong. It didn't help that General Bradshaw's simple announcement of, "They are on their way back," gave no indication to the health and wellbeing of the former Joe prisoners. Alison had initially chalked it up to another example of the general's less than warm personality, but as time went by she wondered if it was his cryptic way of announcing that while the Joes were on their way back, they weren't bringing good news with them. She knew that asking the question would save herself the worry, but if something was wrong with Flint, she didn't want General Bradshaw to be the one to tell her.

She wasn't one to normally put a lot of credence in fate or karma, but there was a part of her that wondered if this was payback for the temper tantrum she threw earlier in the month. At the time she thought she had a whole future plan figured out that didn't include Flint. At least not as an active part in her love life. But the one thing she never wavered on was that regardless of what happened to their relationship she held firm to the idea that he deserved to be involved in the raising of their child.

And that's what devastated her the most when contemplating his death. It was bad enough that she would have to learn to live without him, right after they had reconciled. But the fact that he would never know his child, and conversely the child would never know his or her father deeply upset her.

She heard the approaching Tomahawk before she saw it. So she shook away her thoughts and again began to pray. Her questions would be answered shortly. After it landed, she stayed a safe distance away and watched as Zap, RoadBlock, Chuckles and Lifeline walked off. Falcon remained in the front of the Tomahawk with Lift-Ticket. Her reunion, if it was coming, would have to wait for the DragonFly.

Lifeline glanced her way and then headed towards her, looking grim. For Alison, that was all the confirmation she needed. She took a step back and began to breathe heavily. Even after all her thoughts and what-ifs, she realized she was not prepared to deal with the news. She wrapped her arm around her abdomen, trying to protect her baby from the pain it was about to experience.

Lifeline reached her and said her name. But she waved him off. "No, Lifeline, please, don't tell me he's gone."

Lifeline's face flashed to one of horror. "Oh, Alison, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to scare you like this. Flint's alive. He's on the Dragonfly that was just a few minutes behind us."

Alison wasn't sure she heard him correctly. "He's really okay?"

"He is, at least physically. But that's why I wanted to talk to you. I checked him out briefly, and he seemed okay. But Roadblock told me on the trip back that Doctor Mindbender put him through some sort of mental torture. So I just wanted to prepare you that he may be returning with issues that need to be worked on."

"After the brief conversation I had with him the other day, I was expecting this. He was so out of it then, that I'm glad to hear he seems fairly normal now. Maybe that means he's on the road to recovery."

"It could be. But I'm going to keep a close eye on him the next few days, and I'd like you too."

Alison nodded. She joined Duke and General Bradshaw as they congratulated Falcon on his mission. She could see the pride written all over Duke's face. "Thank you, but save the praise," Falcon said with a measure of humbleness Alison didn't think he had. "It was the easiest rescue mission I had ever been on. Zap and Bazooka were waiting for us when we landed. They had just finished a shift of helping to dig out some of the men trapped in the mine when they had heard we were on our way. Flint and Roadblock were lending a hand as well. I would have sent you a more detailed message, but the communications at the site were pretty poor."

Alison walked away before Falcon finished his recap. The Dragonfly was in view, and once again she braced herself for a less than ideal homecoming. She was relieved that she didn't need to prepare for the worst, but Lifeline's warning was rather ominous. Regardless, she was still anxious to wrap her arms around Flint and see him for her own eyes.

Alison held herself back as she waited for the helicopter to shut down. One by one the Joes exited, with Flint being the last one off. She could see that the past few days had weighed heavily on him. But then he turned, caught her eye and grinned. Suddenly all was right in her world. She raced towards him and jumped into his arms. He hugged her tight. "I am so happy to see you. I'm sorry that I didn't call you, but I needed to see you in person before I talked to you."

"I'm just glad you're back. You had me worried for a little while." She pulled back to take a hard look at him again. Lifeline was right. Flint was putting on a good show, but she could tell that he had gone through an ordeal. She rubbed the side of his face. "Are you doing okay?"

Flint's eyes darkened but he nodded. "I'm much better now. We'll talk more about it later."

Flint looked behind her, and Alison knew General Bradshaw had joined them. Her first instinct was to back away from Flint, but she reminded herself that she was no longer subject to the general's rules. So instead she grabbed a hold of Flint's arm and then turned to face the general.

"I want to do a recap of this mission, snafus and all, but not now. It's been a long few days for everyone here, so I think we all deserve a break. I'm pushing Officer's Call back to 1000 tomorrow, to give you all a chance to catch up on some sleep. We'll do a rundown of the missions, set up the duty roster for the holidays, and if there aren't too many outstanding loose ends my goal is to get standdown started by the end of the day."

Alison couldn't believe her ears. She figured the general must have caught a healthy dose of the Christmas spirit. A fact she was immensely grateful for. She was definitely ready to get Flint off base and back to the apartment. And luckily he felt the same way. Within minutes they were in his car driving home.

"Dash, I want to talk to you," Alison said once they were settled in the apartment. She had debated holding off on revisiting the marriage idea until at least the following morning, but she was too anxious to wait. He had been quiet the whole ride home, and she knew they needed to work through what he experienced with Doctor Mindbender. Which she hoped would be an easier conversation to have after she professed her undying love for him.

"Okay," he said with a sigh. He took a seat on the couch. "But, wait, before you start. Did you have your ultrasound last week?"

Alison shook her head. "No, I postponed it again. I didn't want to do it without you. Once you get your work schedule tomorrow, we can reschedule the appointment, hopefully for the last time."

"That sounds good. I was afraid I missed it. I really want to see Junior, make sure he's okay. Especially," Flint began but then trailed off.

Alison grabbed his hand and took a seat close to him. She realized her earlier thoughts had been wrong. Her proposal had to be put on hold until they talked about his ordeal. She took his hand and put it on her abdomen.

He smiled. "You've gotten bigger."

Alison nodded. "I feel like every day I wake up and I can see a difference. Also Junior's movements have gotten stronger. They're not just little flutterings any more, but are starting to feel like real kicks."

Flint remained quiet. Alison leaned towards him and wiped at a tear that had formed under his eye. "Dash, what did Mindbender do to you?"

"Nothing, really. He never laid a hand on me. But he did make me think I was experiencing my worst nightmare."

"That doesn't sound like nothing. Mental torture could be worse than physical."

"I believe it. I actually would rather have been beaten. At least then I wouldn't be stuck with the horrific images I have in my head."

"Do you want to talk about it?"

Flint shook his head. "No. Maybe one day, but not now. Lifeline mentioned that I should talk to a shrink, and I probably will. But right now, I just want to enjoy being alone with you." His hand rubbed at hers, but stopped when he felt the ring. He lifted her hand to take a look at it. With a smile he asked, "You put the ring back on?"

"I found it the other day when I was cleaning up. I was so worried about you, so when I found it, I really wanted to wear it again. I hope you don't mind."

"Not at all. I wanted to give it back to you, but I wasn't sure what was the right way to do it. I didn't know if you were expecting a second proposal."

"No. This time, I want to talk." She looked down at the ring as she fiddled with it in her fingers. "I had a lot of time the last few days to think about what I wanted to say to you right now. I admit when you first left on your mission, I spent some time thinking that we reconciled too fast without settling our issues. But once I got the news that you went missing, I realized how superficial those doubts were. I may not have all the answers, but I want you in my life to help me figure it out. I love you, Dash, and I want nothing more now than to become your wife."

Flint leaned in to kiss her, and for the first time in weeks Alison felt all was truly right with her world.


	5. Chapter 5

Flint awoke with a start. He was afraid he had cried out, but Alison continued to sleep peacefully by his side. He took a few deep breaths, trying to still his pounding heart. He wondered how long it was going to take for the nightmares to stop. At least he was finally back at home, so unlike the last few nights, he could see for himself that Alison was alive and well.

He looked at the clock, and as he assumed he had only been asleep a couple of hours. He could tell that sleep wasn't coming again any time soon, but he was too tired to get out of bed. Instead he rolled over to face Alison where he could make out her dim shape in the dark. He forced his mind to not focus on any part of the nightmare, and instead he thought about their future together. He hated that he had given her a scare the last few days, but since she had recommitted her love to him, some good had come from it.

She stirred awake. With a half-asleep voice she asked him if he was okay. He nodded, kissed her forehead and pulled her close to him. Eventually, he settled down enough to fall back asleep.

A few hours later Flint was back on base hoping to take care of business as quickly as possible. Luckily, General Bradshaw seemed to have the same goal.

"So even though Mindbender escaped our capture yet again, the fact that he is very much alive and up to his old tricks should give the Joe team a valid reason for existing for at least a few months into the new year. Good work, men." General Bradshaw said with a rarely seen smile.

Flint watched as Duke patted Falcon on the back. Seeing Duke show affection to his younger brother was another rarity, but Flint knew the kid earned it. "As promised, I want to start the holiday stand-down. I will be taking a few days myself and spending the holidays in DC with my family. I assume you can set up a duty roster to share the leadership roles while I am gone?"

Duke nodded. "That will not be a problem."

"Good. Then this meeting is dismissed. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all," the general said and then left the room.

"Wow. I guess he's in a hurry to get home," Falcon said.

"I don't blame him," Flint remarked. He then reached over to shake Falcon's hand. "In the chaos of yesterday, I don't think I got a chance to thank you for the rescue."

Falcon blew on his knuckles and then rubbed his chest. "All in a day's work, Flint. Duke, let me know when you get the schedule up."

Falcon left leaving Duke and Flint alone. "Falcon has come a long way," Flint remarked.

"He has. He still has a lot to learn, though." Duke eyed Flint for a moment. "Are you okay? You look like shit."

Flint laughed. "Thanks. I didn't sleep well last night. I guess it's the lingering effects of Mindbender's device. But I'll be okay."

Duke continued to stare at him. He pointed at the mission file on the table. "Doc is ordering you to take the standdown period as mandatory R and R, but he wants you to stay local the next couple of days so he can keep an eye on you. I'd also be remiss if I didn't remind you that psychiatric services are available."

"I know. But I'll be fine. I think the time off is just what I need. I'm sorry, though if I'm leaving you short-handed."

"You won't be. Falcon and I aren't going home so we could easily split the on-call duties. Plus, Beachhead said he isn't leaving until after the first. He needs some time off to take care of a few things, but he already said he was willing to take a couple of shifts."

With a final thanks to Duke, Flint left the room and pulled out his phone to call Alison. However, she beat him to it as the phone rang and her number appeared on the screen.

"I'm so happy you answered," she said. "The OB-Gyn just called. They had a last minute cancellation, so they can squeeze in my ultrasound if we can get there before lunch time. Are you free?"

Flint told her he was, and that he was heading home to pick her up. During the drive to the apartment, instead of focusing on the excitement of getting the chance to have another look at his child, Flint couldn't help but dwell on his irrational fears. His mind wouldn't let him forget the horror of hearing the baby's heartbeat stop, and he was afraid that he was going to experience that sense of loss again.

He didn't want to let Alison know his dark thoughts, so he tried to put on a show for her benefit. Luckily, she was so excited that she seemed content with carrying on a mostly one-sided conversation. They walked into an empty waiting room and Alison's name was called shortly after they took a seat.

Flint tried to continue the charade, but his heart began pounding as they walked down the hallway to the examination room. He stopped and tried to catch his breath. Alison noticed, and turned towards him with a concerned look. "Dash, are you okay?"

He forced a grin. "I'm fine. I'm sorry, I just need to run to the bathroom." He could tell that Alison questioned the excuse, but he needed a moment or two to get a hold of himself. Once inside the bathroom, he splashed cold water on his face and tried to calm himself down. What finally got him moving was the idea that in the unlikely event his nightmare had come true, he didn't want Alison to learn the terrible news on her own.

He entered the examination room and saw that she was alone. He went to her side, grabbed her hand and kissed it. She frowned at him and with her free hand rubbed at his hair. "Dash, what's wrong?"

"Nothing, I'm just being paranoid."

She brought her hand down to caress his cheek. "I'm sure everything is fine."

Before he had a chance to echo her statement, the ultrasound technician entered the room. She introduced herself, prepped Alison and a short time later their baby's image filled the screen. Flint let out a sigh of relief as he could see with his own eyes that the baby was alive.

They watched as the technician took several measurements and screen shots. Flint's anxiety began to grow again as time went on. The technician remained silent as she did her work. Flint couldn't help but wonder if that was a sign that there actually was a problem. But then she turned to the two of them and with a smile announced, "Everything looks good."

Flint should have been relieved once again, but he couldn't help but think about the tentative nature of her statement. "What do you mean by 'looks'?"

"I'm sorry, that's standard terminology. From Alison's test and all that I've seen you have a perfectly healthy fetus. There are no obvious abnormalities, but as I tell every expectant parent, there are never one hundred percent guarantees when it comes to the birth of a child."

The technician typed away at her keyboard. "As I said, I think everything is fine. I'm printing up some souvenir photos for you to take with you. Do you want to know the sex?"

"Yes," they both said without hesitation. Alison smiled at Flint and then turned back to the screen. "Do you know what it is?"

"I do," the technician said as she scrolled through a series of still shots. "She wasn't shy for the camera."

"It's a girl?" Alison asked. When the technician nodded, she playfully punched at Flint. "See, I told you."

The technician laughed. "I haven't kept records, but I do have to say that more times than not, the mother instinctively knows what her baby is. I think it shows the bond that exists already between mother and child."

Flint's fears abated when he saw the radiating smile on Alison's face. He leaned over and kissed her forehead. "I love you."

"You're not disappointed?"

Flint shook his head. "Not at all. I'm very excited about my daughter." He meant what he said. There might have been a time in the early stages of Alison's pregnancy where he would have expressed disappointment in not getting the son he wanted. But after all that the two had gone through he was so incredible grateful that he had the opportunity to raise a healthy baby girl with Alison.

That last thought resonated so deeply within him, that he wanted to do something to chase away any of his lingering fears and doubts. Once the two exited the doctor's office, he stopped Alison in the parking lot. "Let's get married."

Alison laughed. "Didn't we have this conversation last night?"

"No. I don't mean at some point down the road, I mean right now."

Alison startled. "Can we do that?"

"To be honest, I don't know what the exact rules are here, but I do know people run off to the justice of the peace all the time. If we have to wait a few days, at least we can get the paperwork started."

Alison thought for a moment and then she enthusiastically nodded. "Okay, let's do it."

They drove to the town hall, and walked inside hand in hand. After explaining their request to the receptionist she looked at them with a smile. "Congratulations. I have good and bad news for you. The good news is that Arizona has no waiting period for marriage licenses. So, you just fill out the forms, give me your IDs, and I can give it to you right now. The bad news is if you're looking for someone to perform the ceremony for you today, you're out of luck. Since we're so close to the holidays we're working with a skeleton crew, and all of our qualified individuals are out of the office until the 27th. I could, though, call around to a couple of neighboring towns to see if someone else is available."

Flint wanted to say yes, but he noticed that Alison seemed to be hesitating. "What do you want to do?"

Alison pulled him out of the receptionist's earshot. "I think we should go ahead and get the license, but waiting a few days may not be a bad idea. This way we can prepare a bit more."

Flint had to admit he was disappointed since he had started to run with the idea of making everything official as soon as possible. But he also realized that this was probably a far cry from the type of wedding Alison had envisioned for herself. So he needed to give her what she wanted.

With a smile and a nod, he grabbed her hand and walked back to the receptionist. "Let's make an appointment for the 27th."


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: This chapter strays closer to the 'M' territory, for adult sexual situations.

Most of the dialogue used for the vows come from .com

Thank you yet again for the all of the reviews!

* * *

Alison carried the hot mug of tea into the living room, and took a seat on the couch. Their appointment with the Justice of the Peace wasn't until later that morning. She was glad that Flint had insisted on the old-fashioned tradition of not seeing the bride before the wedding. After a whirlwind few days she wanted to relish a couple of hours of peace and quiet.

The day after her ultrasound Alison had met with Lifeline because she was concerned about the nightmares Flint had been continuing to have. Lifeline nodded once she finished expressing her concerns. "What he's experiencing isn't unusual. It's probably going to take some time for him to get back to normal. Has he talked to you about what he went through?"

"No," Alison said with a shake of her head. "And since he hasn't made an appointment with the psychiatrist, I'm afraid he's making things worse by keeping it all bottled up."

"It's not helping. I could order him to seek treatment, but in my experience until he's ready to start a dialogue, it won't do much good. What I recommend right now is to make the most of your time off. Since I don't see any lingering side effects from the drugs Mindbender used, I'm going to release the medical hold Doc put on him, so you're free to travel wherever you want."

Alison contemplated their options. In theory, there was just enough time to take a quick trip to DC to look at her housing options. It would mean spending most of Christmas in Washington, but since they didn't have plans for the holiday anyway, staying busy was probably better for Flint's psyche.

She was deep in thought and almost missed Lifeline's next question. "How are you feeling? Is the pregnancy progressing normally?"

Alison grinned and rested her hand on her stomach. "So far everything looks perfect. I had an ultrasound the other day, where we found out that it's a healthy girl. We then committed to a wedding date. We're getting married next week."

Lifeline's face broke out into a grin. He walked over to hug her. "I'm so happy for you."

"Thank you," Alison replied. She pulled out of Lifeline's grasp. "Ed, I never did get a chance to apologize for the bad situation I put you in when I told you I was pregnant."

"I appreciate that, but it's not necessary."

"No, it is. At the time I was only considering my wants and needs. I hope that you didn't face any repercussions from the general."

Lifeline shook his head. "Other than a request for your medical records, I didn't actually have any interactions with him."

She thanked Lifeline for his time, and then made her way back home. She felt a lot better after the conversation. Once she arrived at the apartment, she easily convinced Flint to book a trip to DC.

Much to the chagrin of the real estate agent that had drawn the short stick to show them around, they had spent most of Christmas Eve looking at houses and apartments. However they did decide on a Brownstone about a twenty minute commute from the Pentagon, and they had signed the papers in time for all to have a Christmas Eve dinner.

They had flown back on Christmas Day. Thanks to a bad storm in the Midwest, their flights had been delayed and they finally returned home well into the evening. They had hoped to attend the Christmas dinner that the Joes were hosting, but due to the late hour, and the fact that both were exhausted they instead picked up Chinese take-out. Alison could tell that Flint was disappointed in the less than ideal Christmas celebration but he cheered up when later that night they talked about their hopes and expectations for their daughter's upcoming first Christmas.

The following day was spent in wedding preparations. Alison had booked a hair appointment, followed by a manicure and pedicure. She had to admit that the pampering of herself felt glorious. Her last stop had been to pick up her wedding dress.

She looked at it hanging on the back of her door and smiled. She had gotten lucky twice with it. First was that she had found a dress that she loved so quickly. And secondly, that the seamstress was both willing and able to do a rush job on the major alterations she needed to be able to wear it.

Alison had felt a little sad going through the wedding dress shopping experience alone. She thought back to one of the times she was a bridesmaid in college, and how she, five other women, the bride's mother, future mother-in-law and a handful of aunts had spent a whole Saturday with the bride-to-be choosing the perfect dress. Even though an entourage of that size had seemed a tad excessive, she remembered that they had had a good time. Alison had wished that one of the women she was currently closest to was around. But Jinx and Scarlett were in Japan, and Cover Girl had gone home for the Christmas holiday.

Which meant they were also going to miss the wedding. In fact, their ceremony was going to be very sparsely attended. Duke had easily agreed to stand in as a witness and to escort her down the aisle, while Flint's brother David was flying in to perform Best Man duties. But David was the only member of Flint's family that was coming. Diana had already booked a skiing vacation with her family, while Marie and Nate said that due to the holidays they couldn't make the trip. Alison suspected that the real reason was that they were protesting, at least in Marie's case, what she felt was an unorthodox wedding.

Flint had been disappointed by the news, but he had tried to downplay it by insisting that even if the wedding was less than perfect, the important part was the lifelong commitment they were making to each other. And that was what he was most excited about.

Her smile returned. Flint was right. Being able to marry the man she loved was enough to make it magical day. She wondered if there had ever been a point in her life that she had fantasized about a princess type wedding. If there had been, it had to have happened when she was a very little girl, because she had quickly outgrown it. She then wondered about the personality of the baby growing inside of her. Would she have more of the girly-type tendencies or be a tomboy like her mother? And if it was the former, would Alison be able to handle it? She then thought about the idea of doing mother-daughter spa days, shopping trips, and ballet lessons and Alison realized that she was up for the challenge.

That was a thought that immensely comforted her, since so much of the early weeks of her unexpected pregnancy were spent in fear and apprehension of her mothering abilities. To find out that she was truly ready to become a parent was a relief. But first she was becoming Mrs. Dashiell Faireborn, a thought that caused her even more joy.

* * *

"She's here," David announced as he held open the front door of the municipal building.

Flint had heard about grooms having their breath taken away the minute they first glimpsed their brides to be, but he had always assumed that was a cliché. Until he caught sight of Alison in her wedding dress and he realized that it was a valid physical reaction.

He could only stare at her as she approached. She grinned at him. "I meant what I said about not needing to have the big wedding or the walk down the aisle. But I did want to get a pretty dress. I had to have the midsection let out a bit, though," she added with a grin as she caressed her stomach. "I could have hidden my belly behind a flowing skirt, but I decided I wasn't embarrassed by it. I hope you don't mind."

Flint was far from bothered by it. In fact, seeing her in the skin tight white gown with the obvious pregnant belly triggered his baser caveman instincts. He loved the fact that she was announcing to the world that she, and the baby growing inside of her, was his. But he knew voicing those thoughts would get him in trouble with her, so he settled for something slightly less offensive. "I am far from bothered by it. You look beautiful, and I am really going to enjoy ripping it off of you later."

To prove his point he pulled her close so she could feel the effect she was having on him. He wrapped his arms around her back and kissed her deeply.

"Easy, you two. Save some of that for after the 'I do's'" Duke said with a laugh.

Alison pulled away and then let out a shriek. She raced down the hall and hugged the new arrival. "Shana! You came!"

"Are you kidding? I wouldn't miss this!" Scarlett said with a grin.

Flint watched the two women catch up, until David signaled him. He put his hand on Alison's shoulder. "It's time."

She patted his hand. "See you inside."

Flint walked into the courtroom with David and Scarlett, and took their places at the front of the room. A couple of minutes later Alison entered, escorted by Duke, in an abbreviated version of a walk down the aisle. Flint's eyes never left her, as she looked radiant. After so many weeks of worry, anger and sadness it was nice seeing her truly happy.

Once she reached his side, he grabbed her hands and turned to face the officiant. "Today we have gathered together to celebrate the marriage of Dashiell and Alison. Marriage is the promise between two people who love each other, who trust each other, who honor one another as individuals in that togetherness, and who wish to spend the rest of their lives with each other. It enables the two separate souls to share their desires, longings, dreams, joys and sorrows, and to help each other through all uncertainties of life."

The officiant turned to Flint. "Dashiell, will you take Alison as your lawfully wedded wife? Will you love, comfort, honor and protect her, forsaking all others until death do you part?"

Flint had to clear his throat and swallow against the lump that formed. "I do."

The officiant asked the same question to Alison who nodded and whispered an "I do." She pulled her hand away to wipe under her eyes.

The officiant then asked Flint to repeat after him. "I, Dashiell, take you, Alison, for my wife." Flint had to again pause to clear his throat. Alison smiled at him and squeezed his hand. Once again gaining control of his emotions, he continued. "To have and to hold from this day on, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish for all the days of my life."

Alison did a better job of holding herself together while reciting her vows. However, at the end she exhaled sharply, betraying the nervousness she too felt. The officiant asked for the rings. Flint turned to his brother and grabbed Alison's. "With this ring, I thee wed," Flint said as he slipped it on her finger.

David then handed Alison Flint's ring. "With this ring, I thee wed," she said. Flint felt a chill as the gold slid down his finger. He had wanted this moment for so long, he almost couldn't believe it was actually happening. But then the officiant announced that they were husband and wife, and he knew it was true.

While, Duke, David and Scarlett clapped he leaned over and kissed his new wife. They then walked out of the room hand in hand. Back in the hallway they accepted the congratulations. Alison and Scarlett hugged for a few moments. Once they separated, Alison asked, "So do you want to go out and celebrate?"

Scarlett glanced at Duke before she shook her head. "No, we don't want to intrude. I'm sure you two want to celebrate alone."

"Yeah, take advantage of the limo," David added. "Go for a ride around the city before you check into the honeymoon suite."

It sounded like a great plan to Flint, but he noticed Alison seemed to be disappointed. "Okay," Alison replied. "Shana, how long are you in town for?"

"I don't fly back until after the new year, so we'll have plenty of time to get together. You can tell me all about your wedding night," she said with a wink towards Flint. Flint was glad that even though they had agreed to keep things low-key they had splurged on the limo and the hotel stay. It wasn't the most extravagant of wedding days, but he wanted to give Alison a very special wedding night.

They said their goodbyes and then climbed into the limo. The driver closed the door behind them and Alison asked. "Is it just me, or do you feel like they were eager to get rid of us?"

Flint too thought it was odd that they didn't take up Alison's offer, but he was glad that they didn't. He was looking forward to the alone time with her. Which, if he had a guess, was probably Duke and Scarlett's motivation as well.

He shared his theory with Alison, who nodded. "That could be, and if so, good for them. But what about David?"

Flint shrugged. "He's a Midwesterner born and bred, it's in his nature to be polite."

Once the car pulled away Flint reached over to pull out the bottle of champagne that had been chilling in the ice cooler. Alison let out a mock gasp. "Is that real champagne?"

"It is. I figured it wouldn't hurt for you to have one glass."

She smiled at him. "How many books and doctors did you consult before you came to that decision?"

"Just a few," he admitted. He popped the bottle open and then poured them both a glass. They cheered one another and took a sip.

Alison frowned as she looked out the window. "I thought we were going to the Biltmore?"

"We're supposed to be," Flint replied. He too looked out the window and confirmed that they weren't heading towards their destination. He moved forward and then rolled down the partition separating them from the driver. "Where are we going? We're supposed to be heading to the hotel."

"Don't worry, Mr. Faireborn. There's been a slight change of plans."

Flint turned towards Alison, who had a look of concern. He went on alert. "What do you mean change of plans? Where are you taking us?"

"I'm afraid I can't tell you. Mr. Hauser told me to not reveal our destination."

"Duke?" Flint still had an uneasy feeling. He sat back next to Alison and pulled his phone out of his pocket. He dialed Duke's number. "Did you divert our limo?" Flint asked once the first sergeant answered.

Duke let out a laugh. "Calm down, Flint. You're not a victim of a nefarious Cobra plot. It's just a little surprise the Joes have for you and Alison."

"Where are we going?"

"You'll find out once you get here," Duke answered cryptically and then hung up the phone.

Alison raised an eyebrow at him. "Should we be worried?"

"Well, apparently the Joes have something planned for us. So, yes, we should be."

Alison laughed. Flint took another sip of the Champagne and then put the glass down to free up both of his hands. He wanted to get back to the task of enjoying the private limo ride with his new wife. He leaned over and kissed her deeply as he caressed her body. She let out a soft moan that spurred his actions.

His excitement level ramped up but he reluctantly pulled away. He meant what he said earlier about looking forward to ripping off her dress. However, he wanted that to happen when they were truly alone in their hotel and he could make love to her in a proper way. Plus, with whatever the Joes had planned he knew they had to keep themselves looking respectable.

Alison's hand went to the front of his pants and he gasped. Suddenly all the reasons to keep himself in check seemed insignificant. He allowed himself a few moments to enjoy the sensations, but then he regained his senses. He put his hand over hers to stop her. "I want to wait until later where I can do this right."

"I know. I do too," she whispered into his ear as she kissed his neck. "But I still want to have some fun right now."

With that, Flint surrendered himself to the moment. Alison expertly kept him on the edge of ecstasy until the limo came to a stop. With a final kiss, she pulled away and looked out the window. "We're at Barbecue's firehouse."

Flint could only nod. "I'm going to need a minute to calm down."

Alison grinned at him again. "That's fine. I need some time to freshen up as well."

She pulled a mirror out of her bag and Flint watched her with a smile as she adjusted her hair and makeup. "You're so beautiful. I love you so much."

"Thank you. I love you too." She leaned over to kiss him, but stopped when there was a knock on the window. Flint opened the door, where a Class A wearing Alpine greeted them with a bow. "Mr. and Mrs. Faireborn, follow me."

Flint looked at Alison with an amused expression, but the two did as they were told. Alpine had them wait at the door a moment while he peeked his head inside. They could hear the sounds of several conversations with music playing in the background. Both came to a stop, and Alpine waved them through.

The music changed to the bridal chorus. Duke stopped them at the door, and picking up the microphone he announced. "Ladies and Gentlemen, please rise, and welcome for the first time as husband and wife, Dashiell and Alison Faireborn."

As they entered a room filled with applause, Alison looked around the firehouse in awe. It had been transformed into a reception hall, and was filled with Joes, many of which had obviously cut short their Christmas holiday to attend. She tried to catch the eye of as many of her friends as possible. Flint leaned over and said to her, "Come on, they want us to dance."

He led her to the front of the room, where they had spaced the tables to make room for a dance floor. One of her favorite love songs began to play, and she leaned into Flint. "Did you know about this?"

Flint shook his head. "No, I'm just as surprised as you are."

"This is amazing. I can't believe they did this for us."

The song ended, and they were directed to a table for two at the side of the dance floor. An appetizer sampler was on her plate, but Alison was too worked up to eat. She first wanted to thank the people she suspected were responsible for the event.

She quickly found Scarlett, and went over to her table. "Do I have you to thank for this?" she asked with a smile.

"I may have had the idea, but Con did most of the work," Scarlett said with a nudge towards Duke, who was sitting next to her.

Duke turned to face her. "I can't take all of the credit. When I approached the team with the idea, Barbecue volunteered his fire house, and got a crew together to set it up. Roadblock handled the menu, Cross Country donated the stereo, and a few of the guys have a couple more surprises up their sleeves."

Alison hugged the two of them. "From the bottom of my heart, thank you."

Alison talked to a few more of the Joes before she returned to her table. Once she was seated, Flint stood up and raised his glass. "First, I want to say thank you everyone for all of this. It means so much to Alison and me that you care enough to throw us this party. This was a really nice surprise. So, cheers to you all." He took a sip and then turned towards Alison. "Now, to my wife. Which is something I've wanted to call you for a very long time." Flint paused a moment. "You have to forgive me, since I didn't know this was happening I didn't pre-plan a speech. At least one that I can say to a room full of people."

Alison blushed and smiled while a few of the Joes chuckled. Flint grabbed her hand and continued. "We've been through a lot together, and I am so thankful that in the end you're here by my side. I look forward to what our future is going to bring, including the birth of our daughter."

A cheer went up in the room. It grew louder when Flint leaned over to kiss her. The music then changed to a popular dance song, and many of the Joes took the dance floor. Ripcord came over to bring Alison out to dance, and she eagerly accepted. Flint spent a few minutes watching her until Duke took the empty seat next to him.

"You're really having a little girl?" Duke asked with a smile. He waved over David to join them.

"If you believe the ultrasound. And the technician doing it seemed fairly confident." Flint looked at Duke who was still grinning. "Care to clue me in to what you find so amusing?"

"I was just thinking back to the night your nephew was born, and you announced to the bar that it was only the beginning of the Faireborn family line. That you planned on bringing at least another half-dozen Faireborn boys into the world."

David laughed and slapped Flint on the shoulders. "That sounds just like my brother. Celebrating my accomplishment by bragging about how he is going to one-up me."

Flint grinned sheepishly. "I think I vaguely remember that night."

"I'm not surprised that you only have a vague recollection, since you had been hitting the beers pretty hard," Duke continued. "I thought you were celebrating your first major defeat of Cobra, but then I realized later that I think your alcohol intake was due to Jaye's date with Shipwreck."

"Yep, I do remember that night. And you were right I was trying to drink away my sorrows. I was especially annoyed with myself that she had apparently hooked up with the guy I brought onto the team. Luckily she came to her senses. And when she showed up at the bar later that night I decided I needed to stop stalling and to tell her how I felt. I think that was the night when we first," Flint paused as he debated how much to reveal. "Had a deep and meaningful conversation."

David raised his eyebrows at him while Duke laughed. David excused himself when Alison walked over and wrapped an arm around Flint. "You look like you are having quite the talk."

Duke nudged Flint. "He was just telling me about the first time you two had a 'deep and meaningful conversation'."

"Really?" Alison asked with a pointed look at Flint. "What happened to not kissing and telling?"

"Sorry, buddy!" Duke said and with a pat on Flint's back he left them to join Scarlett on the dance floor.

"I noticed those two have been very chummy tonight," Flint commented.

Alison had noticed the same. Whatever Scarlett had written in her letter to Duke must have worked. She couldn't help but wonder what the future held for them.

The next couple of hours passed by in a blur of good food, dancing and enjoying the reception with her new husband and their friends. They even had arranged for the traditional cake cutting ceremony. Despite the evil glint in Flint's eye he remained a perfect gentleman, and refrained from any cake-in-the-face shenanigans. She too decided to return the favor.

Once they returned to their seats, Shipwreck grabbed the microphone, and said, "This party is not only to celebrate the marriage of Flint and Jaye, or in some of our cases a way to come together to grieve what could have been," he said with an exaggerated leer towards Alison that made her laugh. "But unfortunately, it's also a farewell party. Lady Jaye, I hope you all know that we love you and are going to miss you."

Alison blushed and waved her hand in thanks to the applause that broke out. Before she could get too wrapped up in the emotions of the moment, Shipwreck continued. "To honor your contributions to the team and our hearts, we put together a quick 'best-of' video for you."

The lights dimmed, and on the wall the video began to play. Alison frowned as it showed, her, Cover Girl and Scarlett lounging on the roof of Headquarters in their swim wear. Just as Scarlett leaned over to rub suntan lotion on Cover Girl's back Breaker jumped up with a "Damn it, Shipwreck!"

With a grin and an overexaggerated laugh, Shipwreck said, "My apologies everyone. I think I mixed up the tapes. This one is from my private stash. I'm kidding," he added after ne noticed the angry glares coming from the women in question and many of the men. Flint didn't look happy with Shipwreck's stunt, but Alison appreciated the attempt at humor.

The real video started a few moments later. Alison gasped when she saw the early footage. The guys managed to find the moment she stepped foot on G.I. Joe soil. She couldn't take her eyes off of her younger self. It had only been a few years, but the intervening years had weighed heavily on her. She then noticed Flint and Duke standing in the background of the video. Flint nudged Duke and then said something into his ear. In the firehouse, Flint leaned over to whisper to Alison. "I remember that day vividly. As soon as I saw you, I knew my life was going to change."

Alison wanted to say the same, but the reality was she hadn't been as instantly smitten. She had first been intimidated by the Warrant Officer. However, it hadn't taken long to see past his gruff exterior to the man below.

The video continued for several minutes, and it was a montage of life on Joe HQ. Running PT, conducting drills, and recreational time among others. The parts that stood out were the several homecoming shots of her and Flint being reunited. She couldn't remember what particular mission each scene belonged to, but she loved seeing the moment that happiness replaced the fear on his or her face when they caught sight of the other. It was a true testament to their love. Alison hoped that she could get a copy of the video to watch repeatedly on her own.

The video ended with a series of shots of her in action. The tears started flowing then as she was again hit with the idea that Lady Jaye was no longer. She would never wear that uniform and fight side by side with her fellow Joes. Flint wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close. She cried on his shoulder for a few moments. Once she gained control of herself she pulled away. The video had ended and a crowd had formed in front of her table.

She stood and walked over to Shipwreck. With a hug and a kiss on his cheek she thanked him for the video. She did the same to Breaker and the rest of the guys that had helped. She then spent some time with each of her closest friends, Cover Girl, Alpine, Bazooka, Cross Country, Dial-Tone, Ace. It seemed the list was endless. The last one to come to her was Ripcord. "I'm really happy for you," he said simply.

"That means a lot," she said as she hugged him. "And thank you for being there for me in Scotland."

She returned to her seat. She noticed that her tears had never stopped, so she wiped them from her face. Flint rubbed her back. "Do you want to go outside and get some air?"

Alison was going to take him up on the offer, but Duke walked over to the microphone. "Unfortunately, I think it's time to call an end to the festivities. I think the newlyweds are getting anxious to continue their celebrations privately. When you're ready, your limo is waiting to take you on to the Biltmore.

"Before you go, I do have a couple of announcements. General Hawk had wanted to attend, but due to prior commitments he couldn't. But he wanted to give you a wedding gift. Alison, your report date has been pushed back by a week, since he wants you to enjoy a proper honeymoon first. And since I assume you want your husband to join you, I spoke to General Bradshaw who agreed that Flint should get an extension of his R and R time."

Alison grinned at Flint. It was a perfect ending to the day. Her original plan had been to fly to DC in the next couple of days to be moved in by the New Year. But having an extra week meant they could enjoy some leisure time together before she made her move.

The two rose to leave, and were showered with confetti as they made their way to the limo. The ride to the Biltmore was spent in silence as the two were lost in their thoughts. Once they arrived, they checked into the presidential suite, and walked out to their balcony. They had timed their arrival perfectly, as the setting sun was setting giving them a beautiful view of the Phoenix skyline.

They watched in silence for a few moments. Flint walked up behind her, wrapped his arms around her, and whispered. "I love you Mrs. Faireborn."

She turned to face him. "I love you too, husband."

He led her inside where they slowly and passionately consummated their marriage. Since it was an act they had engaged in several times, Alison wasn't expecting it to feel any differently, but somehow it did. It truly felt like they had a deeper bond.

Afterwards they lay there, where Alison replayed the whole day it her head. She rolled over to face Flint. "I'm curious to see if your memory is correct about our first time. When did you tell Duke it was?"

Flint ran his fingers down her naked shoulder. "The night Danny was born. I wanted to take you out to celebrate, but Shipwreck beat me to it. Luckily your date was a disaster and you met us at Joe's later that night."

Alison's face took on a puzzled look. "Was that right after we foiled Cobra's weather manipulating plot?" Flint confirmed it was and she continued with a shake of her head. "First, it was never a date with Shipwreck. I made that quite clear to him. Secondly, it was not a disaster, we ended up having a very nice dinner. And finally, I don't know who you had a 'deep and meaningful conversation' with that night, but it wasn't me. Yes, you made your intentions known, and I told you that I was interested, but that's as far as it went."

Alison could understand why Flint's memory of the chain of events was a little faulty. He was right that the night at Joes was the first time he confessed his feelings to her, and they did initiate physical contact. But since they were both well aware that what they were doing was against the rules, they weren't ready to cross the sexual line. As time went on, their feelings for each other deepened, but they kept the no-sex rule in place. They had convinced themselves that as long as they weren't having actually intercourse, then they weren't breaking the fraternization rule. So they did everything but. Until the day that Alison decided she wanted more, consequences be damned.

That moment came after they foiled Cobra's plan to use the Red Rocket Food chain for their nefarious purpose. At one point, she had infiltrated Extensive Enterprises and had been interrupted by the untimely arrival of the Twins. They fought, and the next thing she knew she was plummeting to what she assumed was her death. But thanks to Flint's aerial acrobatics and her javelin throwing skills she lived to tell the tale. Once she was safely back in the DragonFly, she made a joke so Flint wouldn't notice how disturbed by the event she was. She didn't necessarily have the cliché 'life flashing before her eyes' experience, but it was a good reminder how dangerous her job was. And because of that she decided to live her life with no regrets. And that included consummating a relationship with the man she cared deeply about.

Once the mission was over and they had gone back to his room she wasted no time. "Make love to me," she asked with a kiss.

Flint pulled back slightly to look at her. "Are you sure?"

"Yes. I want this. I want you."

Flint reached over into his nightstand and pulled out a sealed box of condoms. When he noticed her eying the package he grinned. "I bought these a few weeks ago," he admitted. "I figured it was best to be prepared."

"Let me guess. You were a Boy Scout growing up?"

Their lovemaking was as good as Alison hoped it would be. When it was over, she leaned into him and whispered. "Dash, I think I'm falling in love with you."

However, his response was not what she was expecting. He let out a nervous laugh and gave her a squeeze but didn't respond. She laid there for a few minutes longer, her thoughts a jumbled mess. She wondered how she could have misread Flint so badly, as she had been sure that his feelings for her were just as deep. But based on his non-response, she had to have been mistaken.

Which meant she had just made a critical mistake in her career. She abruptly sat up, and made an excuse about needing to take care of some paperwork. Instead, she had gone back to her room and spent a sleepless night wondering how she could have been so stupid.

The one thing she did decide was that she was going to confront the issue head on. If she needed to do damage control it was better to start it sooner as opposed to later. But she never got the chance to talk to Flint as they had to rush to recover a satellite in Africa.

That was a mission where her personal feelings had definitely interfered with her professional work. She let her anger at Flint bleed into her actions, and one of her poor decisions nearly led to her death. But it had been enough to prompt Flint into expressing what he really felt.

She had been so relieved to hear that she hadn't overestimated his feelings, that in full view of the other Joes she accepted the hug he offered. When none of the Joes reacted, she pushed the envelope by hanging onto him for a few minutes more.

On the ride back to the States, Flint took the seat next to her. "I'm sorry for how things played out the other night." Flint looked around the Tomahawk. "I should have responded and told you that I feel the same way. But I was scared." He sighed before he continued. "I had tried to convince myself that I could keep my feelings out of this. Yes, I liked you, probably from the first moment I laid eyes on you, but I knew that by acting on that, I was heading into dangerous territory. Still, I wanted you. So we started on this thing that I was fairly sure was going to get us in trouble. However, I felt that as long as I didn't have strong feelings for you that I could pull away at any time. But the more time that we spent together, the more I realized that what we had wasn't just physical, that it went deeper than that. Which you confirmed. And I realized I needed to figure out what I really wanted. I admit, that I considered telling you we had made a colossal mistake, that it wasn't worth throwing away our careers for our fling. But then we went on the mission, and I thought that once again I had watched you plummet to your death, and I decided that I would rather lose my job than you."

Alison finished recapping her memory of the events and Flint nodded. "You're right. Honestly I think I blocked a lot of that out of my head, because that was one of the many times I acted like an idiot and nearly lost you. I'm glad you stuck with me."

"Me too," Alison said with a grin. She then nestled against her husband and fell asleep.


	7. Chapter 7

Alison woke early the next morning, and relished the feel of the luxurious bed and sheets. She spent a few minutes thinking about her plans for the next few days. Once she was fully awake she quietly got out of bed to let Flint continue his sleep. She wrapped a robe around herself and went into the living room area, and looked into all that the Biltmore property had to offer.

Her stomach let out a growl, so she went back into the bedroom to get dressed. Flint stretched and greeted her with a smile. "Good morning," she said as she sat on his side of the bed. "I was going to head down to the lobby to get breakfast."

"Why go through all that work? We can order in." He sat up and handed her the room service menu. Once she told him what she wanted, he called it in. She couldn't help but smile as he told the person on the other end that he was placing an order for him and his wife.

The food arrived a short time later, and they brought it out on to the balcony. Flint took a sip of his coffee and asked her how she wanted to spend their extra days off. "I've been given it some thought," Alison replied. "I at first thought about what places I wanted to visit, and I quickly came to the conclusion that I don't want to travel. I think I just want to stay here. I'm sorry if that's a really lame response."

Flint shook his head. "Not at all. As long as I'm with you, I don't care where I am. But I actually like the suggestion. For as long as I've lived here, I really haven't done any of the local tourist things. How about we extend our stay here a couple of days and see the sights?"

Alison eagerly agreed to the plan. Flint once again called down to the receptionist desk and said, "My new wife and I would like to extend our stay. Is the suite available?" He paused and then said, "Three nights is perfect, thank you."

After he hung up Alison said to him with a smile, "You are really enjoying using the term 'my wife'."

Flint grinned. "I am. I'm going to try and work it into as many conversations as I can."

Alison pulled him down on to the bed. "Well, your wife is looking for some undivided attention from her husband."

Later that morning they took a cab to their apartment to pick up their car and some extra clothes. They then returned to the hotel, where they changed into bathing suits and went down to the pool. It was a mild day for late December. It wasn't quite swimming weather, but it was a perfect temperature to lounge poolside. After an hour Alison woke from a semi-dozing state to Flint staring at her. "What's the matter?"

"Nothing. I'm just bored." He ran his hand down her leg.

She watched him do it with a smile. "Really? It's only been a couple of hours."

Flint shrugged. "I can't help it."

Alison let out a laugh, and grabbing his hand, she led Flint back to their room. Later on that afternoon they drove around the outskirts of Phoenix, taking in the beautiful scenery Arizona had to offer. Alison reflected on the fact that it had only been a few weeks since she had taken a similar drive, but that time felt like a lifetime ago and a world away.

* * *

The following morning, Alison went down to the lobby to await the arrival of Scarlett and Cover Girl, who she invited over for a spa day, while Flint played a round of golf with Duke, Falcon and David.

"This place is gorgeous!" Scarlett said as she and Cover Girl walked in.

"Now you know why we didn't want to leave. I'll take you on a tour afterwards to show you the sites."

Cover Girl grinned at her. "You mean you've actually left your room? I figured you've done nothing but lounge around in bed the last couple of days."

Alison blushed. She led the two of them to the spa. "There's been plenty of that. In typical Flint fashion, he's been insatiable."

Cover Girl patted Alison on the shoulder. "Enjoy it while you can. From what I hear, once the baby arrives that all dries up."

"Courtney, stop," Scarlett scolded. "If that was true the world would just be made up of only children."

Cover Girl laughed. "Let me guess, you're the baby of the family." She patted Scarlett's shoulder. "I'm sure your mommy and daddy loved each other very much when they made you."

They checked into the spa, changed into their robes, grabbed a fruit plate and flavored water and then took seats in the relaxation room where they chatted quietly.

"Court, I didn't get a chance to thank you for cutting your trip home short to come to the wedding."

Cover Girl waved her off. "It was my pleasure. Not only was it worth it for the party and after party we had, but I was more than ready to come back. Every time I go home I'm reminded why I left in the first place."

"I'm sorry," Alison said. "What happened?"

Cover Girl shrugged. "I'm used to it. My parents' biggest regret in life is that I gave up my modeling career. No matter how many times I try to explain my motivations, they can't get past the fact that I gave up a cushy and lucrative job to do one that is dangerous and low-paying. I prepared myself for the lecture I knew was coming, but I was blindsided when I walked through the front door and saw what was basically a shrine to my modeling days. Needless to say the visit went downhill from there. So when Clutch called about the wedding reception, I eagerly agreed to come back."

Alison nodded and turned towards Scarlett. "Did you get a chance to go home?"

"I did. I flew to Atlanta over a week ago," Scarlett said. "After I got over the jet lag, my biggest annoyance was the constant grilling from my brothers and father about what's going on with Conrad."

Cover Girl grinned and took a seat closer to Scarlett. "Since you brought him up," she trailed off as she waved her hand.

Scarlett rolled her eyes. "I'm sorry I did, since there is nothing to tell."

Alison shook her head. "I doubt that. The way you two acted at the reception, I could tell you are in a much better place than when you left. So something happened."

"We had a good conversation a couple of weeks ago, where we put everything out there. I may not have forgiven him for everything, but I do understand why he did it."

Alison began to respond enthusiastically, but Scarlett waved her off. "Don't get too excited. Just because we resolved our past issues, doesn't mean we have a future together."

"But maybe you do. Look at what Dash and I went through before we realized that it was only the general keeping us apart. That could be the same for you too."

Cover Girl eyed Scarlett. "Unless General Bradshaw isn't the only reason why they are staying apart." Both waited for her to continue. With an exaggerated sigh, Cover Girl said. "Duke wasn't the only mysterious blond man that lusted after Scarlett."

"Snake-Eyes?" Alison said as she looked at Scarlett. "Are you two together now?"

"No!" Scarlett said forcefully. "We've been good friends for years, and I admit this time together has brought us closer together. But I love him like a brother, nothing more."

Before Cover Girl or Alison could question Scarlett further, their names were called, bringing an end to the conversation. They were led to three separate rooms.

"This is a specialized maternity table," the attendant explained to Alison. "It'll give you a chance to lay face-down if you would like."

She did. After gingerly climbing on to the table and maneuvering herself into the cutouts, she was surprised by how comfortable she felt. "This is heavenly. I haven't been able to do this for a couple of weeks."

"You'll find yourself needing this relief more and more as the weeks continue on. You should make future appointments to help relieve the strain the growing baby is putting on your body."

Alison just nodded as she realized she wasn't going to be in town to take up the offer. But she put on her mental to-do list to find a similar place in DC. An hour later she emerged from the room feeling completely refreshed. She joined Cover Girl and Scarlett who were wearing matching smiles of contentment.

"Al, this was a wonderful idea," Scarlett said.

"I agree, thank you," Cover Girl added.

"It was my pleasure," Alison said. "And our afternoon is only beginning. We still have mani, pedis, and facials to look forward to." She leaned back with a sigh into the cushy chair. "The guys can't be having nearly as much fun as we are."

* * *

Flint held his breath as he watched the ball take a lap around the cup before it fell in the hole. He stared at it in amazement a moment before he let out a whoop and shook his fists and the golf club into the air.

"I don't believe it," David said. "I know I just saw that happen, but I still can't believe my eyes."

Duke shook his head, and then handed Flint his beer from the golf cart. "Lucky shot."

"Lucky me ass. That took skill. I bet half of the pros couldn't have made that putt."

They took a few steps back as Falcon hit his ball. His fell a few feet short of the hole which made Flint's smile even larger.

Falcon walked over, and muttered a few choice words when he saw his ball. He then turned to the others and said, "I'm going to guess based on Faireborn's shit-eating grin that he actually got it in?"

"Oh, I've been getting it in pretty consistently lately."

"Classy," David said with a look of disapproval towards Flint. "I hope you don't talk to Alison that way."

Falcon laughed. "Please. With all the years in the Army, I'm sure she's heard worse."

"Maybe," David said but he continued to scold Flint. "But she's going to be the mother of your child, so you should treat her with respect."

"Save your breath, Dave," Duke said. "I know what it's like to have a younger brother that doesn't listen to a word you say."

"Hey!" Falcon said. "I've taken your advice plenty of times."

"Really? Name one."

Falcon thought a moment. "Give me a minute. In the meantime, who wants a refill before the next hole?"

They filled up their cups. Duke and Falcon got in the cart to continue their discussion, while Flint stayed behind to walk with David. "Did you feel nervous at all when Ann was pregnant with Danny?"

"Nervous?" David said with a laugh. "I was down-right terrified. I'm pretty sure I dreamt up every worst case scenario. In the early weeks, I was afraid of a miscarriage. Once that threat passed, I worried that the baby would have birth defects, or that Ann would suffer complications during the delivery."

Flint exhaled. "It's good to see I'm not alone."

"No you're not. I wish I could tell you that it gets better, but it doesn't. Now I have, by all indications, happy and healthy kids but I still worry. Am I raising them right? What if they encounter a bad influence down the road? Have I saved enough to give them the future they want? And does Ann love me as much as she did on our wedding day, or is she being serious when she calls me a horse's ass?"

Flint couldn't help but laugh at the last question. "Yep, we are living the same life."

The two caught up to Duke and Falcon, and finished up their round a short time later. Flint looked at his watch. "I think the girls should be finishing up soon. Al and I talked about us all doing dinner together. Are you in?"

"I'd like to, but we should get back," Duke answered. "Beachhead seemed very enthusiastic about his chance to be the one in charge this afternoon."

Flint grimaced. "Say no more. You should go check on him, make sure he hasn't revamped the whole place."

David laughed. "Really? How much trouble can one guy cause? You've only been gone a few hours."

Duke and Flint traded knowing looks. "I can tell you a few stories."

Once Duke and Falcon left, Flint and David grabbed a couple of seats by the pool bar. They sat in silence a few moments, mindlessly watching the Bowl game airing on the television. During one of the commercials Flint asked, "So what was mom's conflict this week?"

David tried to stammer out an excuse but Flint waved him off. "I knew the minute she told me her plans were a lie. I figured she was upset, but I didn't realize how much."

"Don't read too much into it. She was disappointed since she's spent the time since your announcement at Thanksgiving planning out a wedding. But I think she would have changed her mind at the last minute if dad hadn't come down with the flu Christmas night." David patted his leg. "Even if she is still mad, you have the ultimate bargaining chip, her first granddaughter."

Alison, Scarlett and Cover Girl joined them a couple of minutes later. Alison leaned over to kiss Flint on the cheek. "How was it?" he asked.

"Wonderful," she replied. "Where's Duke and Falcon?"

"They wanted to head back since they figured they left Beachhead in charge long enough."

Cover Girl shuddered. "I'm glad I missed that." She then nudged Scarlett, "I'm sorry you lost your date for the evening."

"Date?" Flint asked.

Scarlett exhaled sharply. "Don't you start. These two have been bugging me all afternoon."

"It sounds like we need to get a round of drinks ordered," Flint said. "So what does everyone want?"

"Hold on, Flint," Cover Girl interrupted. "You two treated us to a wonderful afternoon. The least we can do is pay for the first round. Red, give them your credit card." Scarlett laughed but reached into her purse to hand Flint her card.

"If you're paying, get me a water and a virgin Pina Colada," Alison said. She watched as David and Flint walked over to the bar. She turned to Scarlett. "Shana, I'm sorry if I annoyed you. I just want," she paused for a moment. "I know it sounds corny and cliché, but I hope you're as happy as I am."

Scarlett smiled. "I really am. I spent the last few years either pining after Duke, dating him, or trying to recover from our break-up. I needed the time away to realize that I can find happiness without him."

"I could have told you that," Cover Girl said. "Don't get me wrong, they are a lot of fun, and every so often a girl has needs that have to be taken care of, but no woman's sole source of happiness should be a man. You need to find joy in other areas of your life as well."

Alison shook her head. "When did you become so wise?" she teased. "If I had come to talk to you last month, I could have saved Flint and I a week's worth of grief."

"You two have always underestimated me," Cover Girl said with a mock of dramatics. "But seriously, Alison, with a wedding, a baby and a new job in a new city, you're not feeling overwhelmed?"

"This is a great conversation to make her have while she's on her honeymoon," Scarlett said.

"No, it's okay," Alison said. "Maybe a lot of feelings are being masked by the post-wedding bliss, but right now I'm more excited than worried. I do know though, once I get to DC I'm sure the reality of it all is going to hit me, so you both better answer your phones when I call."

David and Flint returned and passed out the glasses they were precariously balancing. They then started to discuss dinner plans, when Cover Girl's phone rang. "Shit, it's HQ," she explained before she walked away to answer it.

"It's a weird feeling being totally removed from what the Joes have going on," Scarlett said.

Flint grimaced and looked at Alison. He was afraid she was still sensitive about her firing but she seemed to take the comment in stride.

Cover Girl returned a couple of minutes later. "Sorry, but my night's over. I have to go back."

"What's wrong?" Flint asked as he wondered if he was going to be receiving a phone call as well.

"Don't worry it's just a motor pool issue," Cover Girl explained. "Cross Country, Thunder and Tollbooth have been trying to come up with a plan to help our budget crisis with what they assured everyone was going to be a cheap, but reliable way to lower our fuel consumption. Once they said they were getting Airtight and Tripwire involved, I knew it was going to be a disaster. And supposedly I was right. Cross wants me to give them a hand with the damage control."

"You're being a good sport about it," Alison said.

Cover Girl grinned. "It's because payback's a bitch. Unfortunately, though, Shana you're my ride."

"It's okay. I'll take a raincheck on dinner. How about Saturday night? We can ring in the New Year together. Unless, of course, you'd rather be alone."

"Please," Alison said. "I'm sure by then we'll be sick of each other."

"Speak for yourself," Flint said as he wrapped his arms around Alison.

"Okay, I'll call you," Scarlett said with a laugh.

Once Scarlett and Cover Girl left, David turned to them. "I think I'm going to head back to my hotel as well. All that sun this afternoon tired me out, and I have an early flight tomorrow."

Flint hugged his brother, followed by Alison. They wished him well and then the two were alone. "So my wife, what do you want for dinner? That is assuming you too aren't going to make an excuse to ditch me."

Alison wrapped her arms around his neck. "Nope. I haven't seen you all day. I missed you," she said huskily.

"Room service it is," Flint said.

As they walked back to their room he added, "I hope it takes them a long time to deliver it."

* * *

Flint reluctantly checked them out on the morning of New Year's Eve. Not only was he sad that the too-quick honeymoon was coming to an end, but he knew that he now needed to switch his focus to moving Alison to DC. He was glad that they did finalize plans to meet up with Scarlett that night since it gave them the excuse to postpone the inevitable for one more day.

A few hours later they were seated in the crowded bar. A couple dozen Joes had come out, adding to the raucous atmosphere. Flint felt a hand on his shoulder and he turned around. A semi-familiar woman was smiling at him, and it took a moment for him to remember how he knew her. "Sarah! Good to see you again."

"You too. I just came by to say hello and remind you that I owe you a drink." She looked at Alison. "I'm going to assume this is the fiancée?"

Alison stuck her hand out. With a larger than usual smile she introduced herself and then added. "Wife, actually. We just got back from our honeymoon."

"Congratulations!" Sarah said. "Then I really should buy a round. What do you want?"

Flint ordered a beer and then Alison patted her stomach. "Just water for me," she replied a little too sweetly.

Flint watched in amusement as the two women chatted about Alison's pregnancy. Since he was normally the jealous one, it was nice to be on the receiving end. But then he flashed back to the despair he had been in when he had met Sarah, and how he had considered going home with her that night. He wondered what would have happened if he had. Or if Alison hadn't had her change of heart that had led to their reconciliation. He guessed that rather than being out celebrating the coming new year, he would have been home grieving the way the current one ended.

Sarah left the two of them to join their friends. Flint leaned over to Alison and asked her to go outside with him.

"Now?" She asked as she looked at her watch. "It's nearly midnight."

"I know. I just want to talk to you a minute." He helped her down from her stool and they pushed their way through the crowd to the front door.

Once outside, Alison stretched trying to get rid of the kink in her back that formed from sitting too long at the high top table. She was glad for the chance to stand, even though she was concerned about Flint's motives for taking her outside. She had a strong suspicion it had to do with Sarah. She decided to confront the issue head-on. "Do you need to tell me that you had a fling with that woman I just met?"

Flint startled. "No," he adamantly replied. "But I'd be lying if I said I didn't consider it. I met her the night you ended our relationship."

"Oh," Alison said simply.

He grabbed her hands. "I'm not telling you this to hurt your feelings, or to bring up painful times from the past. But seeing Sarah reminded me how miserable I was that night, when I thought I lost everything. It made me think about how I could have been in a completely different place figuratively and literally, if things didn't work out between us. So it seemed appropriate before this year ended and the new one began to reiterate how much I'm looking forward to our future, both in the coming year and the years beyond."

Alison didn't know how to respond. Inside the bar, the countdown to midnight began. Flint looked towards the front door. "Do you want to go back inside?"

Alison shook her head no and embraced him. They kissed at the stroke of midnight. Once they separated she told him, "I too am very excited for the future. Happy New Year."

They went back inside where they wished their friends a happy new year, sang a very off-tune version of Auld Lang Syne and then left while the majority of the bar stayed to continue their celebrations.

Later that night Alison woke up and quickly realized she was alone in their bed. She sat up and saw a light under her door coming from the living room. She put on a robe and walked out there, where she found Flint sitting on their sofa, staring at the ultrasound photo.

"Do you think she'll have your green eyes?" Flint asked once she joined him on the couch.

"I don't know. If I remember my high school biology class correctly, I think brown eyes are the dominant color, so she'll probably end up with yours."

Flint nodded, but remained quiet. Alison rubbed his leg. "Did you have another nightmare? It's been a few days."

"Yes. I think the wedding and the honeymoon temporarily pushed them aside."

Alison leaned into him, wrapping her arm around his shoulder. "Do you want to tell me about them?"

Flint stayed quiet for so long, that Alison thought he was going to once again shut her out. But then he started talking. "The scenario I experienced each time Doctor Mindbender brought me to his lab was different, but the end result was the same. He made sure I was put into a position that I watched him kill our baby.

"The first time was the worst. I was so shocked, angry and upset as I watched my greatest fear play out. Once I woke up in my cell, I should have known it was only his mind games being played on me. Especially since he reenacted it over and over again. But the images seemed so real, and not being able to talk to you or see you to confirm that you were actually okay, made me believe that I lost Junior, and I was going to lose you too."

Alison had suspected that was the torture Flint suffered through, but to hear him tell her what happened broke her heart. She pulled him in for a hug. "Dash, other than telling you again that Junior is fine, I don't know what else to say to make this pain go away."

"I'm not looking for you to say anything. I know that you and the baby are fine, but just sometimes I have these moments where I need to reassure myself that is the case. Having this photo helps."

Alison grabbed Flint's hand and put it on her stomach. "We have more than just the photo. She truly is in here, and I can feel her getting stronger every day."

Flint smiled at her. "I'm glad to hear that. I'm just so excited to meet her, and hold her in my arms."

"Me too," Alison said and then kissed him. "But in the meantime we should probably come up with a better name than Junior."

Flint laughed. "I agree. Do you have any suggestions?"

"I do." Alison got up and went to the dining room table that had become a catch-all for their paperwork. She rummaged through a pile until she found the list of potential names she started. Once Flint realized what she was doing, he too stood up, walked into their bedroom and returned with his own list.

They compared the two and laughed once they realized they had nothing in common. Plus, both vetoed a large chunk of either's choices. Flint laughed again. "I'm starting to think Junior's not a bad name."

"Me too." Alison scanned through his choices again. "I can't help but notice that ninety percent of the names on your list start with the letter 'D', so I have to ask what's the story behind the cute naming tradition your family has?"

"My mother told us it's in honor of the man who saved my dad's life when they were in the Army together. She said if it wasn't for him, none of us would be here now."

Alison regretted mocking the tradition. "Dash, that's beautiful. I'm sorry for poking fun."

Flint waved her off. "Don't be. The true story isn't quite so honorable. One night while my mom was pregnant with David, my dad was involved in a drunken poker game that went very bad for him. In order to get out of paying one of his buddies a large amount of money, he promised he was going to name the baby after him. He convinced my mother by telling her the Army story, and she ran with it. Dad finally came clean when Diana was pregnant for the first time. But since David had continued the tradition, she decided to follow suit. So, while I would like to keep it going, we don't have to."

Alison nodded. "That's good to know. To be honest, my favorite name isn't on my list."

"Oh yeah? What is it?"

"Marissa. I thought it was a great name when I met the yoga instructor in La Jolla, so it was the first thing I thought of when the tech confirmed we're having a girl."

Flint nodded. "It's pretty. Different, though."

"I know. Growing up as an Alison, I thought it might be nice to have a name that was a little more unique."

Flint grinned. "And having a name like Dashiell, made me promise my future offspring that they would have a more normal name."

"Marissa is a normal name," Alison insisted.

"It is. I guess I was thinking something a little more traditional. To be honest, I had already accepted the idea that we were probably not going to automatically pick a 'D' name, but I thought something like Eleanor would be nice." When Alison grimaced he added. "It's my mother's middle name."

Alison stared at him a few moments. "Dash, I'm sorry, but I'm not naming her after your mother." She paused. "Although, if it helps sell you on 'Marissa' you could tell your mom I thought of it because of her."


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: As the ending scene of the previous chapter hinted at, this is my long, drawn out version of Marissa Faireborn's birth and early life. If anyone is interested in the canon version, IDW's Optimus Prime has finally put Marissa and her father together in a comic series. While I am disappointed in the backstory they came up for Flint and Marissa, it is kind of interesting seeing them interacting together.

And once again, thank you for the reviews! I love seeing the notifications pop up in my email!

* * *

Alison looked at the clock with a sigh. It was amazing how quickly the week had passed since they had landed in Dulles. Since they knew they only had a few days before she started her job and Flint returned to the Joes, they made the most of their time together. They had closed on the brownstone, shopped for furniture and other household items, and unpacked her belongings. While her new home was not fully furnished, it was completely functional. So, in theory, she was ready to start her first day at the Pentagon the following morning. However, she had the very unpleasant task of sending her husband back to Arizona first.

Alison walked down the hallway into the guest bathroom. Flint was staring at the sink. "Dash, we really should be going. You know General Bradshaw is going to be annoyed if you're late."

Flint looked at his watch. "I know. I'm just concerned that this sink is dripping."

Alison stared at the faucet for a few moments. When nothing happened she said, "I think it's okay."

"It was leaking before."

"I'll keep an eye on it. And this reminds me that I should get a toolbox, in case I need to make minor repairs."

"They're pretty heavy, and I don't want you lifting it. How about we run to the mall and I get one for you to bring back here? I'll just tell the general that I'll find my own way back tonight."

Alison knew that Flint was looking for the smallest excuse to delay his departure. While she too didn't want him to leave, she knew that eventually he would have to. And going through that pain sooner as opposed to later seemed like the better course of action. "Dash, that's not necessary. Either I'll wait until you come back, or I'll ask one of the guys to get one for me."

Flint's shoulders slumped. He grabbed her hand and pulled her in for a hug. "I don't want to go," he whispered.

She rested her head against his chest. "These last couple of weeks have been amazing and I wish they didn't have to end. I don't want you to go either, but you have to."

Flint nodded. He walked to their bedroom and came out dragging his suitcase behind him. "Let's go."

The two drove in silence until they reached Andrews. Once they parked, Flint turned towards her. "Are you going to find a new doctor?"

"It's first on my to-do list," Alison answered.

"Okay. Let me know when you do. And if they agree that everything is going well. Also, don't overdo it. It might take some time to get back into a work schedule, so try to get as much sleep as you can."

Alison bit down on her tongue to keep from responding negatively to Flint's last minute advice. However, when he cautioned her about helping the delivery men move the furniture they had ordered she couldn't help but answer sarcastically. "Thanks, Dash. I was actually planning on jumping in once I found out Brutus was too fragile to move our couch, but now I'll reconsider."

Flint looked ashamed. "I'm sorry. I can't help it. I just hate leaving you alone."

She leaned over to kiss him. "I know. And I'm sorry I snapped at you. I hate this as much as you do."

They reluctantly exited the car, and were met by Lift-Ticket. "I'm glad you're here. Anvil has been pacing for the last ten minutes."

"Anvil?" Flint asked.

Lift-Ticket smirked. "I'm guessing the general didn't tell you about his new code name?"

Flint looked at Alison, and the two grinned at each other. "It is appropriate," Alison said with a laugh. She then hugged him one last time, and watched as he climbed aboard the Tomahawk.

As she watched the chopper take off, she was hit with a deep sadness. She realized she had been putting up a brave face for Flint's benefit. She drove back to the brownstone lost in her thoughts. She unlocked the door, and when she walked it she was struck by how quiet her home was. Luckily it was late enough in the evening to justify an early bedtime.

She had hoped that she would fall asleep quickly, but despite the fact that her body was tired, her mind wouldn't settle down. Not only was she distracted by Flint's absence but she couldn't help but be nervous about her upcoming first day at work. She felt like a terrified teenager starting a new high school. Eventually, she fell asleep. However, she woke up a short time later. She sat up and let out an exasperated sigh when she realized she had only been asleep forty-five minutes. She laid back down and hoped that sleep would come quickly.

It didn't. As she rolled over trying to find a comfortable position in the bed she was alone in, she noticed a strange sound coming from the hallway. She tried to ignore it until she heard it again. With a sharp exhale she got out of bed and followed the noise. When she realized it was coming from the now dripping faucet in the guest bathroom, she didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

* * *

The first few weeks in DC flew by for Alison. In typical governmental fashion, most of her initial two weeks were spent in training and classes. Even though the work wasn't taxing, she was kept busy enough that by the end of each day she had just enough energy for dinner before she spent an hour or two unwinding with a novel or TV watching.

Her schedule helped keep any negative thoughts about Flint and the Joe team to a minimum. Of course she missed him, and the life she used to have with the Joes, but she tried to make the most of her new routine. And once she was able to begin her real duties, she found she liked her job even more. She had always enjoyed the intelligence gathering aspect of her job with the Joes. Unfortunately, all of her field work limited the amount of time she could spend doing it. So even though having a desk job wasn't nearly as exciting, she still found the work challenging.

Her first morning after she finished her training she went to her desk in Hawk's office, and found a man and a large stack of papers waiting for her. "Richard Morris," he said as he extended his arm to shake her hand. "General Abernathy asked me to get you up to speed."

She grasped his hand. "Alison Hart," she started but then stopped herself with a smile. "I'm sorry, I'm recently married and still getting used to my new name. Alison Faireborn."

"Nice to meet you," Richard replied. "Congratulations on the wedding. When I heard you were being assigned to my team, I read up on your file. You have some very impressive credentials."

"Thank you," Alison replied. When he didn't question her on her military discharge, she wondered if he was being polite or if Hawk edited her file to keep the unsavory bits out. To change the subject she pointed to the stack of paper. "Is that my reading assignment?"

"Yes. This is the daily summary that gets printed out each morning."

"Daily?" she asked as she wondered how anyone had enough time to go through the stack when he laughed.

"Don't worry, it's not as overwhelming as it looks. The computers do most of the work filtering out the white noise. Plus, after a while you develop the knack of figuring out on your own what are the real threats, and what can be safely ignored. The policy here is that we print everything first, in case something goes screwy with the computers.

"Your job for now is to skim through this pile each day, to get a feel for the current threats out there," Richard continued. "Flag anything you feel is important. Once you can prove that you are smarter than the computers you get promoted to the real work." He looked at his watch. "You have a little more than eight hours before all this gets sent to the shredder."

Alison eagerly dove in. She quickly realized that the Joe's intelligence that focused on Cobra was only a small part of the very big picture. She grabbed a pad of paper and began to make notes on the different terrorist cells. She also realized that her desk didn't provide the amount of horizontal space she needed, so she went down the hall into one of the larger public office rooms that had an available table more suitable to her needs. Once she got settled in again, she became engrossed in her work and only half paid attention to the various conversations happening around her. So when she heard a voice ask for a cup of coffee she ignored it. Until she felt a hand on her shoulder and the question was repeated. "Hon, is the coffee on?" an older general who did not have nearly enough hardware on his chest to be as condescending as he was asked.

Alison swiveled around in her chair. "I'm not sure. But if you can bring me back a cup of decaf, that would be great."

The general laughed. "A sense of humor. I like that. But seriously, be a doll and get the coffee going."

Alison grinned an exaggerated smile. "First of all, I don't even let my husband call me by those names. And secondly, getting you coffee is not in my job description. So either figure out how to brew a pot yourself or find someone else that is willing to kiss your ass enough to do it for you."

That evening she called Flint, and as had been typical, left him a message to call her back. One of the frustrating aspects of their current arrangement was the time difference between the two of them. When she returned home from work wanting to talk to him about her day, it was only mid-afternoon for him, and he was usually involved in some sort of activity. By the time his day wound down, she was either asleep or on the verge. She had chewed him out so badly after the second time he had woken her from a deep sleep, that he had left her in charge in deciding when to make any phone calls.

Unfortunately, that sometimes meant a day or two would go by without a chance for the two to talk. Since she wanted to share with him the details about her day, she forced herself to stay awake until he called. "So how was your official first day?" Flint asked.

"It went really well," she answered. She summed up her new duties.

"That does sound like it's going to be really interesting. I'm glad you had a good day."

"Me too. And I agree it was good, except for when this pompous general asked me to fetch him a cup of coffee."

"Uh, oh," Flint replied.

"Yeah. But I quickly realized the plus of being a civilian is that I can tell the assholes wearing stars to go screw themselves."

"Please tell me you didn't actually say that."

"No, not in so many words. But I did tell him to get his own damn cup of coffee."

"Good for you."

Alison took a seat on the couch and stretched out. "Should I expect that kind of condescension now because I'm a civilian, or is just because I'm pregnant and they assume I'm looking for homemaker activities?"

"I think it's actually neither reason, and you just came across a jackass."

Alison laughed. "So any news on whether you can come out this weekend?" They had originally hoped that Flint would visit if not every weekend, at least every other one. But thanks to Mindbender's appearance in Mexico, the Joe team's activity had risen dramatically. It still wasn't at the same level as when they were fighting Cobra, but due to the team's size being cut down, the Joes that were left had quite a bit of work to do.

Flint sighed. "I doubt it. It looks like I'm going to be traveling soon."

"Oh," Alison said simply. She thought a moment. "How about I fly out to see you? I have a few weeks left before I'm banned from airline travel, so I might as well take advantage of it while I can."

Flint balked at the idea. "I'd hate for you to go through all that for what will most likely be a waste of time. It looks like I'm going to be heading out on Sunday, and the day or two before that I'm going to be busy with the prepwork."

"Okay," Alison replied trying to keep the disappointment out of her voice. While her weekdays had very little down time, her weekends were full of it. She had spent the first couple decorating the Brownstone and shopping for baby items, but she had reached the point where most of the things she wanted to do required Flint's help or input. She hated the idea that she was going to spend another weekend without seeing him. She yawned. "I should go, it's getting late."

"Al, I'm sorry. But I'm going to do my best to get there as soon as I can."

Luckily, a reunion opportunity presented itself at the end of the week. Alison received a call late Sunday morning from an excited Flint. "I'm on the tarmac walking out to my Skystriker," he explained. "I couldn't give you specifics until things were finalized, but now that they are I can tell you that I'm on my way to London."

It hardly sounded like good news to Alison, but she still tried to match Flint's enthusiasm. "That should be a great trip."

"Actually, if you saw my orders you would see that it's a load of BS in the spirit of bettering our foreign relations. But the reason why I'm excited is that the contingent I'm going over with decided to meet up in DC."

Alison gasped. "My DC?"

Flint laughed. "The one and the same. Even better our flight to England is not until tomorrow so I get to spend the night. If all goes well, I should be ready to be picked up at Andrews by dinner time."

Alison tried to keep busy before she made the trip to the Air Force base. Once she arrived, she had to wait a few minutes for Flint to wrap up a meeting. When he was done she instantly realized things weren't going to go according to plan. She went over to hug him and asked, "Where's your bag?"

He grimaced. "I'm so sorry. I'm really annoyed that the plans changed over the last couple of hours. Action Force didn't approve our version of the schedule, so we're leaving for England tonight. He put his hand under her chin. I should have time for a quick dinner if you want."

Alison tried to make the best of it. "Where do you want to go? I passed a few places on the way here."

Flint again took on a pained look. "We were asked not to leave the base, as our departure time could change. But I heard there was a commissary here."

"Okay. Let's see what's on the menu," she said with a fake smile.

The special of the day was 'Chicken Ala Andrews', which Alison guessed was a mixture of the various chicken parts that had been served the previous week. They were marinated in a dark gray liquid and served over rice. Any appetite she had was quickly lost, but she continued to try and put on a good show.

Flint watched her push around the chicken parts for a few moments before he threw down his fork and grabbed her hand. "I'm sorry this is a disaster."

She too put down her utensils. "It's not that bad. It's just this wasn't exactly what I envisioned for tonight."

"I know. Same here. But it is nicer having a face to face conversation as opposed to one on the phone."

Alison had to admit that was true. Pushing aside her plate she asked, "Did I tell you how Stalker finally snapped at Beachhead earlier this week?"

"No," Flint said with a smile. "Do tell."

She let out a laugh. "I wish you could have seen it. Ever since I checked in, I noticed that the two of them had been pretty cranky around the office. I know that's standard for Beachhead, but I think they're having a hard time adjusting to the drastic change of pace this job brings. Whenever Hawk is in the office with them, they're on their best behavior. But he was out the other day, and Beachhead starting bitching from the moment he sat down at his desk. Stalker ignored it for almost a half hour before he exploded into the biggest f-bomb laden tirade I had ever heard. He apologized to me the minute he finished as I guess he had forgotten that I was in the room with them, but I think it was what they both needed."

Flint laughed. He then told her about Shipwreck's latest antics, which led to one story and then another. Alison realized there had been so much they hadn't talked about during their phone conversations. A half hour passed quickly, and soon the staff started closing up the cafeteria.

Flint and Alison stood up. She didn't want to leave, but she wasn't sure where to go until Flint threw out a suggestion. "I think I remember passing a lounge on the way to my debriefing. Maybe that's still open."

Not only was the room unlocked, it was deserted. They took a seat on one of the couches in the room. An older movie was playing on the television set. Once Alison recognized which one it was she smiled. "This is a good one." She leaned into Flint's chest, and he wrapped his arms around her.

His fingers caressed her, and she quickly lost interest in the movie. She turned around, and just as she leaned into to kiss him, a group of guys stormed the room.

One grabbed a remote and changed the channel, while his buddy turned to them and apologized. "Sorry. The game is on."

Alison rose from the couch and Flint followed her out into the hall. "So that was a bust." She looked up and down the hallway. "But someone around here must have an empty office. Do you want to try and find one?"

Flint leaned over to give her a chaste kiss. "I'd love to, but I don't think that's a good idea. I have a feeling they're going to call me any minute, and I'd hate to start something I can't finish."

Despite her disappointment, Alison nodded. "I should probably head home, it's almost my bedtime."

"I'll walk you to your car," Flint offered. On the way there he said, "I know it doesn't seem like it now, but this schedule change may be a good thing. I should end up with a few days off at the end, which I'll use to come see you."

Alison nodded and with an enthusiasm she didn't feel she said, "That sounds great." After a quick hug, she got in her car. As she drove back to her empty house, she realized that instead of Flint's visit making her feel better, she actually felt worse.


	9. Chapter 9

After a good night's sleep Alison woke in a better frame of mind. It also helped being able to talk to Flint before she left for work to confirm that he had arrived in England safely.

"Yep, we had no problems. The ride was so smooth, I was even able to sleep through most of it." Flint paused. "Al, I want to say again I'm sorry for last night."

"Don't be," she said. She looked in the mirror and ran her hand through her damp hair. Satisfied with her standard morning hair routine, she walked out of the bathroom. "I admit I was disappointed and pretty bummed out on the ride home, but I know it's not your fault. I was just looking forward to having some company last night."

"I was too. But the good news is that our schedule was confirmed this morning, and I'm heading back on Saturday. Since I have to present my report on Monday to the brass, I'll be there for at least a couple of days. And then I promise to make up for last night."

"I'm going to hold you to that. I hate to go, but I'm running late. Love you." Once Flint echoed the statement, she hung up. Alison smiled. She knew she shouldn't get her hopes up as the previous night was proof of how often schedules changed, but she was cautiously optimistic for the weekend ahead.

She climbed into her car, needing to nudge the seat back in order to fit behind the steering wheel. Once again, the baby seemed to grow drastically overnight. She did the count in her head and realized that she had officially entered her third trimester. She felt a brief moment of panic as that meant she was in the final stretch, and that the baby would be arriving within three months.

She used the drive into work to construct a rudimentary timeline for those months. During one of their lunch hours together, Richard had asked her about her maternity leave plans. She had admitted that she hadn't given it a lot of thought, but she knew she owed it to her coworkers and herself to figure it out as soon as possible.

The one thing she hoped was that she would be fully trained and working as an actual intelligence analyst before she took the time off. To help accomplish that goal, Alison decided it was time to expand her research. When she arrived at her office, instead of starting on the daily stack as usual, she searched out Richard.

"I was wondering if it was okay if I can log onto the computers?" Alison asked once she found him sitting at his desk.

"I believe you have the clearance for it. Why, what are you looking for?"

"I've learned a lot of interesting tidbits about the various groups, but the problem with these reports is that they only tell you where they are now. Which is fine, but I want to check out their history as well."

Richard smiled. "I was wondering how long it would take for you to make the leap. I'd like you to still start each day getting up to speed on the current threat level, but once that is done, you are free to expand your search. But maybe I can help you out first. Any particular group you're focusing on?"

"I have a short list. I noticed there are a couple of sects that seem like they are trying to make a name for themselves. And then there is one that I have tangled with myself."

"Cobra?" Richard asked.

Alison shook her head. "I'm actually very well-versed in how they got their start. But you're close, it's Cobra-La," she said. Richard grimaced, so she continued. "I know it's probably a waste of time, as they were defeated in the Himalayas and don't appear to be a threat any longer. But they had seemed to pop up out of nowhere, that I want to look into how we completely missed them."

"Alison, I understand your curiosity. The reason why I wish you didn't pick them is that the prevailing theory around here is that they never existed."

"What?" Alison was shocked. "I, and most of the Joe team personally fought them hand to hand. So what, they think we made them up?"

Richard grimaced again. "There is the thought that it was done as a publicity stunt. But it's only a minority opinion," he quickly added.

"What is the majority opinion?"

"That they were a radical, but mostly harmless part of Cobra, caught up in the reptile motif and mythology."

Alison opened her mouth to argue that her time spent cocooned against a tree in the Cobra-La lair was more than a myth, and far from harmless, but she realized that he would probably question her sanity. Instead she kept her thoughts to herself, and begrudgingly conceded the idea. "Maybe, but if you don't mind, I still would like to look into their history."

Richard nodded. "Have at it, but don't waste too much time chasing after ghosts." She turned to leave but he stopped her. "Why don't you join threat assessment meeting later this afternoon? It'll give you an appreciation as to what gets reported to the generals and what doesn't."

Alison agreed and she returned to her desk. She decided to put her background search on hold to devote her full attention to that day's daily brief. She wanted to be prepared for the threat assessment meeting. A few minutes before the meeting was due to start, she rose when Hawk did and followed him into the hallway. He smiled at her. "I heard you were joining us this afternoon. Richard gave me a glowing review of you, which I have to admit, doesn't surprise me."

Alison blushed. "Thank you, General, that means a lot." She wasn't lying. After all of the time she spent trying to impress General Bradshaw to no avail, hearing Hawk's compliments restored some of her self-confidence. They entered the conference room, where Alison took the empty seat next to Richard.

The meeting started right on time. Alison was glad she had done her homework because she recognized most of the groups that were brought up. However, a few events were referenced that she wasn't aware of, and she spent most of the hour scribbling notes to herself.

Once the meeting wrapped up, she stayed seated to finish her note-taking. Not only did she have some things she wanted to research, but a couple of the points brought up triggered her 'following a hunch mode'. Before she returned to her office she wanted to get a handle on her thoughts that had started to run rampant.

She jotted down a few more ideas, and then satisfied that her work was complete, she stood up. She gathered her things, and then as she turned to leave she was startled to see that General Cavanaugh, the general that had hounded her for a cup of coffee a few days prior was still in the room.

"I think your friends left you behind," he said with a smile that was more like a leer.

Alison went on alert. She was painfully aware that it was only the two of them left in the room. But she still tried to keep a calm exterior. She smiled. "Yes, sir. I wanted to jot down a few notes, and I didn't realize how long it took."

General Cavanaugh pointed at her. "So, you have a bun in the oven?"

Alison cringed but she kept her facial expression the same. "Yes, that's true."

"When are you due?"

"April," she answered. She then made an attempt at her escape. "I'm sorry, I don't mean to be rude, but General Hawk is expecting me."

General Cavanaugh made no attempt to move. "Is your husband okay with you working?"

Alison's emotions were quickly moving from one of fear, to one of anger. But she still kept a calm and cool exterior. "He is."

She again tried to make an excuse to leave, but he interrupted her. "I don't get that. My wife was free to work up until she told me she was pregnant with our first born. We had an agreement that once the kids arrived, they were her priority. If she wanted to get a part time job while they were in school, that was fine, but I wanted her home while they were home. We raised four very good boys and girls that way. If you ask me, kids need a mother in their life that's not distracted."

Alison found it harder to keep the smile on her face. "Thanks for the advice, but we'll see what happens in the next few months." She then took a step to try and get around him, but he stopped her by grabbing her arm.

"Doesn't your husband worry about you working in such a risky environment?"

Alison looked at him a moment as she tried to figure out why he considered the Pentagon such a dangerous place. She decided it was time to clue the general into the fact that she wasn't as defenseless as he assumed. "No, he's not worried. Since I spent time on the Joe team, he knows I can handle myself."

This time it was the general that took a moment to think about what she said. He stared at her and then with a disturbing grin said, "Ah, so you're the ex-Joe that was kicked out for her affair with her superior."

Even though it seemed like the general was only repeating a fact, warning bells again went off in Alison's head. She didn't know how to respond to the comment. Luckily, General Cavanaugh didn't seem to be expecting an answer. He grinned at her a final time and then left the room.

Once he was gone, Alison realized her heart was pounding. Which was probably silly. She was sure the general was just a creepy philanderer, and other than making her feel uncomfortable meant no physical harm. But she was still concerned about his final statement.

And what really worried her was that if he did make a move against her, she wasn't even sure if she could defend herself against him. Not only did her pregnancy put her at a disadvantage, but she hadn't had a good workout since before Thanksgiving. She tried to stay in shape with walking and the occasional visit to the onsite weight room, but she knew it wasn't the same as training under Beachhead. And she could tell that she didn't have the same strength and agility that she once had.

She entered her office and took a seat at her desk. Unfortunately, the general derailed the train of thought she had been on in the conference room. She decided to revisit her notes in the morning, and spent the rest of the afternoon taking care of some of the monotonous items on her to-do list.

At the end of the day, she tidied up her desk and then stood to leave. Instead of the cursory goodbyes she normally said to her coworkers she walked over to Beachhead's desk. "Wayne, can I ask you something?"

"Sure," he replied without looking up from the document he was studying.

"I was wondering if you maybe had some time either before or after work to do some training with me again."

That got his attention. He picked his face up. "Excuse me?"

"I realized earlier today that I've really let myself go the last couple of months. So I was hoping you could get me back on track."

"Are you serious? What about?" he asked as he waved his hand towards her stomach.

"I know. That's why I'm coming to you. I was hoping you could tailor your training so I could get a good workout without hurting myself."

"First off, I'm not a personal trainer. Secondly, I don't have the first clue into what makes up a pregnancy friendly work out. Go for long walks, lift a few light weights, and then come see me once the baby is born. Then I can work with you."

Alison folded her arms across her chest. The fact that she could now rest her arms on the shelf her stomach made gave credence to his argument. But it was also why she needed the help. "Wayne, I've been doing that." She sighed. She was trying not to admit the true reason she was seeking his help, because she didn't want to alarm him, but it looked like she didn't have a choice. "What I'm looking for is a version of your patented one on training. I'm not looking for your standard Rawhide beat-down, but I'm hoping you can teach me a few things so I can defend myself if needed while in this condition."

Beachhead raised an eyebrow at her. "Why? Is someone giving you a hard time?"

"No, not really. I know I'm totally overreacting. But I did realize that if someone was, I don't think I'd be able to protect myself like I used to."

Beachhead nodded. "Okay. I'm booked in the mornings, but if you want to stay late in the afternoon, I'll help you out. But on one condition. You make sure Flint is okay with this, because I am not going to deal with his bullshit."

She readily agreed, and after making plans to meet the following afternoon, she bid her farewells to Beachhead and then drove home. That night she intended to keep her promise to Beachhead, but after she called Flint, she learned that this time she had been the one to wake him up. Even though he tried to keep up his side of the conversation, it quickly became apparent that he wasn't listening to a word she said. So after telling him to go back to sleep, she hung up. It was a few minutes later that she realized that she didn't inform Flint of her new training regimen.

* * *

Flint walked into his temporary office keeping the forced grin on his face. He had just endured a two-hour long dinner with the higher-ranking members of Action Force. He was impressed with himself that he managed to keep himself calm, cool and collected while his blood pressure was skyrocketing. Anvil had warned him prior to his trip to be alert for a double-cross by the British team. At first Flint thought the general had been overly paranoid as the previous days were spent in a what seemed like a typical joint training exercise.

So when Raymond Trent, the commander of Action Force, asked Flint to join him for a dinner honoring the achievements of the past week Flint eagerly accepted. However, it soon became clear that the dinner was a ruse for Action Force to let their true intentions be known.

"Cheers to our counterpart from across the pond. Officer Faireborn's report will go a long way in not only making us the premier anti-terrorist force in Europe, but the world!"

"Excuse me?" Flint asked as he dumbly held his glass in mid-air.

Commander Trent continued on, oblivious to Flint's confusion. "We stand ready and look forward to working with the Joe team in the future."

Once Trent sat down, Flint asked him what had just happened. "I apologize for the bit of deceptive practice, but we needed an impartial observer, and who better than one of the commanders of the Joe team. However, we were concerned that if you knew the true reason behind this exercise, your personal feelings would cloud your judgment."

Flint begrudgingly admitted that was true. To find out that Action Force was threatening the Joes territory was infuriating. But by not knowing their true intent also influenced his final report. While Action Force didn't have any major deficiencies, Flint wrote the overly glowing report with the idea of bettering the rapport between the two teams.

As he took a seat at his desk, he tried to calm himself down. What's done was done. Then he noticed a piece of paper that replaced his forced grin with a real one. It was his flight plan home. The following day he was going to be back in D.C.

* * *

Nearly twenty-four hours later, Flint arrived back on US soil. After the debacle earlier in the week. he had held off on calling Alison to inform her of his plans to visit. But now that he was in D.C., with no firm plans to return to Joe HQ, he figured it was time to tell her he was in town.

He dialed her office number that he now knew by heart, but the phone rang without an answer. He was about to hang up when a strange voice finally answered. "Hello, you've reached the desk of Alison Faireborn."

Flint had to admit he took pride in hearing his last name attached to Alison's. "Yes, hello, this is her husband. Is she there?"

"No, she left a few minutes early. I believe she's doing some training with Mr. Sneeden."

"Really? What kind of training?"

"I'm sorry, I really don't know."

"Okay. I'm actually headed your way, but if you could leave her a message to call me, I would appreciate it."

It was a completely innocent statement, but Flint couldn't help but dwell on the reason why Alison would need to spend the last part of her day training with Beachhead. As he called for a cab to take him to the Pentagon, he figured he would have his answer shortly.

* * *

"Your balance is off," Beachhead remarked as he once again stepped back.

Alison sighed in exasperation. "No kidding. I have a three-pound baby I'm carrying in front of me."

Beachhead eyed her. "So where did the other twenty pounds come from?"

It was enough to enrage Alison. She reared back and threw a near-perfect punch. Beachhead blocked it with ease, but he smiled at her. "That's what I'm looking for." He reached for the water bottle and handed it to her. "Do you want to take a break?"

"No, I'm good. Let's keep going."

Alison became so engrossed in the training that she didn't notice when a spectator joined them, until he let out a slow clap. Alison turned towards the door and gasped out, "Dash!" as she ran towards him. "I wasn't expecting you until tomorrow."

He hugged her. "This time the schedule change was in our favor. What's going on in here?"

"Beach has been given me some one on one personal training."

Flint looked towards Beachhead. "Really? Why is that?"

Beachhead interrupted the conversation. "I made it quite clear that I wasn't going to do this unless you cleared it with him first."

"I meant to," Alison replied sheepishly. "However, we really haven't talked much the last few days."

Beachhead shook his head. "I'm not doing this. Enjoy your weekend together, I will see you on Monday."

After he left, Flint turned towards her. "Alison, talk to me. Why are you doing this?"

Alison tried to downplay the situation. "It's not a big deal. I realized the other day that I was really out of shape, and I asked Beachhead to work with me."

Flint eyed her for a moment and then he shook his head. "Come on, tell me the truth. Beach wasn't doing standard exercises with you, you were basically boxing with him."

"You're right, I did ask him to teach me some self-defense moves I can use while in this condition." She waved off his next outburst. "Before you get worked up, it's only because I was totally overreacting to a sexist general."

"The same one that gave you a hard time last week?" Flint asked. After she nodded he continued, "Do I have to meet this jackass?"

Alison smiled and then kissed him. "That's not necessary."

"I think that's debatable. But for now, how about we head home?"

"We could do that. Or you could show me a few moves of your own."

Flint smiled. "If that's what you want."

Alison explained that Beachhead was going to show her how she could defend herself from a sneak attack from behind. Flint nodded and then walked her through the steps. He acted out the part of an assailant coming up behind her. He wrapped his arms around her, and pulled her up against him. But instead of continuing out the fake attack he stopped.

"Dash?" she asked. He responded by burying his face into her neck and kissing her deeply.

Her breath caught as she lost herself in the sensations. It had been so long since the two of them had been alone together. His hands roamed over her breasts, while she moaned. But when his one hand proceeded lower, he suddenly stopped and pulled away.

She turned around to face him. "No, don't stop. This place is practically deserted on a Friday night."

"Al, I can't. Not like this. Let's go home and…"

She cut him off. "What's the problem? This is the second time you've done this and you've never been bashful of public places before. Is it because we're married?" Before Flint could answer, she continued. "No, I get it. I'm guessing it's hard to be turned on by this," she said as she waved at her maternity shirt.

Flint grabbed her hand. "Alison, no, at least not in the way you mean. I love the way you look now. You may not believe it, but it is a turn-on. It's just that it's pretty obvious now that there is a third person with us, and I'm afraid of hurting either one of you."

"So what are you saying? No sex until she's born?"

Flint looked shocked. "No! I want you so badly right now, it's actually painful. But the thought of trying to have stealthy sex right here and now seems both uncomfortable and awkward."

Alison couldn't help but laugh. "I guess you're right. But are you sure I don't repulse you?"

"Let me take you home and I'll prove it to you."


	10. Chapter 10

Alison stepped back to admire Flint's craftsmanship and smiled. The crib was officially assembled. Due to Flint's stubbornness, it had taken a little longer than it should have. Alison had suggested a couple of times for him to call either Stalker or Beachhead to lend a hand, especially since he kept refusing her help. But he had been determined to build it himself. So she had left him alone, and had hoped for the best. Once the litany of curses had died down, she had felt it was probably safe to enter the nursery. "I have to admit, I was a little skeptical earlier today that this was going to happen, but as always I should never underestimate your skills."

Flint grinned at her, but he didn't jump to the bait of the flirtatious remark. "I too doubted it for a while. But I figured that since I have a lifetime ahead of me of building toys for our baby girl, that I probably need the practice."

While Flint cleaned up his tools, Alison went into the kitchen to figure out dinner. She quickly dismissed the idea of a home cooked meal, and instead opened one of the drawers to grab a couple of takeout menus. She walked back into the nursery, "I promise that I had every intention of cooking dinner tonight, but I'm craving a pizza. There are a few," she trailed off as she noticed that Flint was staring intently at the crib. "Dash, are you okay?"

"I'm fine. I was just thinking about the fact that our little girl is going to be sleeping in here in a couple of months."

Alison smiled and walked towards him. She rubbed his back as she leaned into him. "Yes, she is," her voice caught as she was suddenly choked up by emotion.

They stayed lost in their thoughts for a few moments until Alison's phone rang. She pulled the phone out of her pocket, and mouthing the name 'Stalker' to Flint, she answered it.

"Hey, Alison, do you and Flint have plans for this evening?"

"We were just discussing that, so no, not really, what's up?"

"I was thinking about putting together an impromptu poker game, are you two in?"

Alison covered the phone, and held it away from her as she told Flint Stalker's offer. He told her he was game if she was. "We're in," Alison answered. What do you need us to bring?

An hour later they showed up at Stalker and Lydia's home with a six pack and a couple of bags of chips. Flint opened two beers for him and Stalker, while Alison joined Lydia in the kitchen. "What can I do?" she asked.

"Please, sit down. I've got a few things in the oven that I can handle taking out on my own. So, how are you feeling?"

"Good," Alison replied automatically.

Lydia gave her a hard stare. "I know we weren't close in Arizona, but since we're both going to be stationed here for the immediate future, how about we come to an understanding? You can save the bullshit for your husband, but you can use me to tell the truth. So, as a mother of three kids myself, who is well aware how difficult pregnancy can be, let me ask you again. How are you feeling?"

Alison couldn't help but grin. She relaxed considerably. "My back aches, my ankles are swollen, and I can't believe how often I have to pee."

Lydia patted her hand. "Get used to the peeing frequency, because that stays with you. I could echo what I'm sure your doctor has told you about staying off your feet as much as possible to help with the other two ailments, but if you are anything like I was you're stubborn and are insisting on doing everything on your own."

Alison's grin grew larger. "Guilty as charged."

The oven timer beeped, and Lydia rose to pull out the two trays. Once she was done she asked, "How has Flint been?"

"He's been," Alison started but then stopped. She was going to use the word 'attentive' but she decided to heed Lydia's earlier advice. "A pain in the ass," she answered.

Lydia laughed. "Lonzo was gone for most of our firstborn's pregnancy. Of course, at the time, I held that against him and blamed him for every little thing that went wrong. But now, in retrospect, I think it was better that way."

The doorbell rang, interrupting their conversation. Alison followed Lydia into the living room, and as she watched Stalker open the door, she had to keep herself from openly gasping. Because standing in the doorway was Beachhead with an attractive woman. "Thank you both for the invitation tonight. I hope you don't mind that I brought a friend. This is Joanna."

"No man, the more the merrier," Stalker replied with a smile. "Come in, and make yourself at home."

Alison caught Flint's eye, and she noticed he was doing a poor job of hiding his surprise. She walked over to him, and as he wrapped his arm around her waist, he whispered into her ear. "Ten bucks says she's an escort."

"You're terrible," she said to him as she wished she had made the bet first. Alison hoped that Lydia would call her and Joanna into the kitchen for another girls' chat, but instead she set the food on the dining room table, and all three couples sat around making small talk until Stalker produced the deck of cards.

If Joanna had been a date for hire, she had done her homework. She seemed to know quite a bit about Beachhead, and held up her end of the various conversations. Alison started to regret instantly jumping to conclusions about his date, but then she reminded herself that she was talking about a man with an extremely gruff personality and questionable hygiene habits.

Beachhead won the hand, and he leaned over and said something to Joanna that made her laugh out loud. Alison once again caught Flint's eye. With a smile, he shrugged. They decided to take a break before the next hand. Alison rose from her chair and stretched. Flint started to walk towards the kitchen but Alison stopped him.

She quietly said to him, "I don't get it. What does she see in him that we don't?"

"I'm telling you, Al, she's being paid for her performance tonight."

Alison didn't believe it. She then thought back to the few instances in their recent past where Beachhead began to show more of his softer side to her. She wondered if the tough as nails drill instructor was just the persona he used with the Joe team, and that deep down there was a different Wayne Sneeden that he only shared with someone he cared about. As she looked towards Flint, she knew Beachhead wouldn't be the first Joe guilty of that.

The next hour passed quickly, and when another round ended Alison stood to stretch her back. "Sorry guys, can we take a break? I need a bathroom visit."

"That's fine," Stalker said as he too stood up. "I need a refill."

"Me too," Flint said. He rubbed her back. "Can I get you something?"

"No, I'm good." She took care of her needs and as she walked back into the living room she felt a sharp jab to her lower abdomen. She rubbed at the area and felt another kick. "What's the matter? Mommy up too late?"

Flint reentered the room, so she called him over. "She's kicking," Alison explained as she put his hand on her stomach. Finally, after all the past failed attempts of trying to get him to feel a kick, they were rewarded. Flint's face lit up in a grin. She wove her fingers between his and pressed into her stomach. "Do you feel that hard lump? I think that's her foot."

"That's amazing. Does it hurt?"

"These kicks don't but sometimes she'll hit something more internal that does. But it's not too bad."

The kicking stopped but was then replaced with another baby movement that had become commonplace the last couple of weeks.

Flint pulled his hand away with a frown. "What's going on?" he asked with concern.

"She has the hiccups." Alison replied with a smile.

* * *

Flint and Alison drove to the Pentagon together Monday morning. Once they arrived, they went their separate ways. Alison to her desk, and Flint to the section of the C Ring that housed the Jugglers offices. He found two of the generals chatting with Colonel Sharpe in one of them, so he knocked on the doorway and entered.

Colonel Sharpe smiled at him. "Welcome back, Flint, how was your trip?"

"It was fine. Although I admit I was a bit blindsided by the true nature of my visit."

General Ryan, who had been the most vocal naysayer against the Joe team during their last DC visit waved him off. "Save your breath. We have a meeting scheduled for 0900 to fully discuss your findings and recommendations."

"Thank you sir, but if you have a few minutes I do want to go over some of my concerns first."

Flint was once again dismissed. "I'm sorry, we really don't. Yours isn't the only issue we're dealing with this morning. There is a reason why we're called the Jugglers." General Ryan said with a sneer.

Flint looked from Colonel Sharpe to the second general in the room who was doing his best to ignore the conversation by pretending to be engrossed in the paperwork in his hand. Flint knew he was beaten. "I will see you at 0900 sharp." He saluted and then left the room.

Flint decided to use the time wisely, so he went to Hawk's office to ask the general to go over his report before the meeting. However, Hawk too was in the midst of what was probably the typical early Monday morning chaos. At a loss at what to do, he hovered around Alison's desk. He could see that she too was busy, so he stayed off to the side to watch the room in action.

Hawk appeared to be in a lull so Flint approached him again. "Sir, do you have a minute?"

Hawk sighed. "If you're lucky I have half that. What do you need?"

"I was wondering if you could take a look at the report I'm going to present."

"I'll make you a deal," Hawk said with a smile. "I'll read through it if you'll answer any phone calls I get while doing so."

Fortunately, the general's phone remained quiet, so he had a chance to read the whole report. Once he was done, he put it down and looked at Flint for a few moments before he spoke. "I can understand your concerns. But I have a piece of advice when dealing with the Jugglers. You need to pick your battles."

That was not the response Flint was expecting. "Sir, you don't think this is worth fighting for? We're just going to turn over all of our international dealings to Action Force?"

"It's not that bad. You're just going to let them handle the Western European skirmishes. Look at the positive. It will free up some of your time to focus on the rest of the world."

Flint wasn't going to be easily placated. "Hawk, we're not exactly pressed for free time at the moment."

Hawk's phone rang. Hawk sighed and looked from it to Flint. "Flint, I know you well enough to know that I am not going to talk you out of this. But, I still recommend you concede this issue."

Alison came over and rested her hand on his shoulder. "I'm going to go for a walk before the meeting starts. Do you want to come?"

Flint eagerly agreed and followed her out of the office. "I try to walk a lap around this ring at least every other hour," Alison explained. "It helps with some of the aches and the pains."

Flint just nodded. He remained silent as he became lost in his thoughts. He respected Hawk's opinion, so he had to give him consideration even though it went against his own. Since he had made a point during their weekend together to not discuss business, he asked Alison for her opinion.

She hesitated before she answered. "Dash, I know you don't want to hear this, but Hawk is right. One thing I've learned the last few weeks is how large and complex the international stage is. G.I. Joe is only one part of the big picture. Having Action Force as an ally can be a help."

Flint sighed. "If I thought that the Jugglers had no ulterior motives, then I would believe that. But I don't."

Her phone rang. "It's Hawk," she said before she answered it. She listened for a few moments, and then she nodded. "Not a problem, sir. I'll get my notes and then meet up with you after the briefing."

Once she hung up she stared at her phone before she continued the conversation. "I don't think I'm betraying Hawk's confidence by saying this, as I don't think it's a big secret. Since Hawk too doesn't trust the Jugglers, part of his reason for bringing Stalker, Beachhead and I here is to make sure that the Joe team still has representation in DC. He especially wants to use my work to feed any intel to the Joes that may have been funneled elsewhere by the Jugglers. So you should know that even though the Jugglers are working against you, Hawk does still have your back."

"That's good to know. But what are you saying? That I shouldn't push back against them?"

"No, I think you should go down on record as being against this move. But don't say anything that might infuriate them." Alison put a hand on his shoulder. "Also, don't give them the satisfaction of seeing how much this angers you. They love making people miserable."

Flint nodded. It was all good advice. "Okay. Thanks for this little chat."

"My pleasure," Alison said with a smile. "I have to head back to the office before the briefing, so I'll meet you in there."

Flint gave her a quick kiss before she left. He still had a few minutes, so he continued the walk. He made it to the center of the Pentagon, where there was an outdoor greenery area. Since it was mid-morning, the place was deserted. He went to go outside, but the cold temperature that hit him when he opened the door made him reconsider.

He figured that the area was a nice place to unwind during the warmer months. He envisioned a time in the future, if he too was transferred to the Pentagon, when he could have lunch with Alison in the garden. They could even bring the baby along if they utilized the on-site daycare. It seemed like an idyllic image.

He turned away to make the walk to the conference room. He wondered if he could actually enjoy working at the Pentagon. After years of fighting on the front lines with the Joes, he knew he would have a hard time adjusting to life behind a desk. He wondered how Stalker and Beachhead were handling it. They both seemed fine during their get-together on Saturday night. But based on some of the stories Alison told him, he knew they were having some issues adjusting to the drastic change of pace.

Although for Flint, the main benefit would be getting a chance to be with his family full-time. And that would probably outweigh any other negatives. With a sigh, he shook his head. Having those kind of thoughts were futile. Anvil had made it quite clear that he wasn't leaving the Joe team anytime soon. And if he did, thanks to the black marks on his record due to his affair with Alison, getting a high command position at the Pentagon was probably a pipe dream.

And that was the main source of his frustration with the Jugglers. Flint had accepted his fate, and he wanted to give his all to the Joes. So the fact that the Jugglers were trying to slowly destroy the team was unacceptable. He wasn't going to spend the next few months separated from his wife wasting his time as a spectator to the Juggler's handiwork.

Flint entered the conference room first, took a seat at the empty table and mentally reviewed his objections. He was still going to follow Hawk and Alison's advice but he was also going to make sure that the Jugglers knew his feelings on the matter.

The room quickly filled up. Hawk and Alison entered together, and took seats on either side of him. Alison leaned over and asked him if he knew everyone in the room. Flint looked around. Most of the men he had met either at Joe HQ or through his previous trips to DC. However, the one general he had encountered that morning was still unknown to him. "Who is sitting to Colonel Sharpe's left?" Flint asked.

Flint didn't miss the look of disgust that briefly crossed her face. "General Cavanaugh. He's Howe's replacement."

It took Flint a moment to remember that General Howe had resigned a few weeks earlier due to a personal scandal. "They replaced him awfully fast."

"They did. It's almost like they had advanced warning of Howe's resignation."

Any further discussion was put on hold as the briefing began. Flint had time to do one last mental run-through of his list of objections before they asked him to speak. He spent five minutes giving what he felt was a thorough, unbiased, yet impassioned plea on the Joes behalf. However, once he finished, it quickly became clear that his words fell on deaf ears.

"Thank you, Flint." General Ryan said. "We will add your notes to the file. Unless there are any other comments, I will officially close this matter."

Flint startled. "Close it? I thought the point of this briefing was to have a discussion about Action Force."

General Ryan shook his head. "That's not necessary. We reached a consensus this morning about how to proceed. Right before this meeting I informed Commander Trent about our new working arrangement."

Once again Flint was taken aback. "If it was a done deal, then why even hold this meeting?"

General Dyson shrugged. "We just wanted to make sure you didn't have any information that would make us second guess our decision. Since you don't, I think we can all rest easier knowing yet again we've made the right call."

Flint looked around the room. Every single member of the Jugglers wore matching grins. It was so surreal, that he was momentarily speechless. He turned towards Hawk, who gently shook his head. It was at that moment that Flint realized he was beaten. Flint fumed through the rest of the briefing. He tried to console himself with what Alison had told him about Hawk working with the Joes. However, he wondered if it would be enough.

After the briefing ended, Flint sat with Alison and Hawk as they waited for the room to clear. Once they were alone, Hawk turned to Flint. "I'm sorry you were blindsided like that. They once again didn't feel it was necessary to inform me of their plans."

Alison squeezed his hand. "This is just a minor setback. Since they got their little victory today, maybe they'll leave the Joes alone for a while."

"Somehow I doubt it." Flint stood up. "I know you two have work to do, so I'll leave you alone."

"This shouldn't take long," Hawk said.

"Okay. I'll wait for you in your office." Flint left the room, and then considered his next move. He had originally assumed that the Action Force debate was going to go on a lot longer than it had, so he had figured that he wasn't going back to Arizona until the end of the week. Now without any reason to extend his stay, he wondered how quickly Anvil would request his return.

He entered Hawk's office and found Stalker and Beachhead making poor attempts at looking busy. "How do you guys deal with all this bullshit?" Flint asked.

Before either one could answer, General Cavanaugh walked in. He looked towards Hawk's desk. "General Abernathy is not back from the briefing?"

"No," Flint answered. "He stayed behind with Alison to review some material."

General Cavanaugh smirked. "I'm sure they're very busy. I'll come back in a little while." He turned to leave, but he hesitated in the doorway. "Since you were Alison's teammates, I got to ask. Has she made a habit of sleeping with her superiors? I know that's off the table now, but I'm just curious in case she gets back in shape once she has the baby."

Flint was so stunned by the general's remarks that at first he didn't react. Stalker, though, had quicker reflexes. He put himself between Flint and the general, "Don't do something you're going to regret."

Beachhead shot General Cavanaugh a look of disgust. "No, Stalker, I think you should let Faireborn have a chat with the general."

General Cavanaugh looked confused for a moment and then startled. "Faireborn? As in Alison Faireborn?"

"Yes. She's my wife," Flint growled. He pushed past Stalker.

The general paled as he tried to stumble out an explanation, but Flint stopped him. "Save the excuses. I don't know how someone as disgusting and misogynistic as you got into a position of power. But because you did the only reason why I am restraining myself is out of respect for the stars on your shirt. I promise you, though, that if you harass or say anything derogatory against Alison again, I won't hesitate to rip them off of you before I kick your ass."

The general tried to retain as much dignity as possible as he quickly slinked out of the room. Once he was gone, Flint turned to Stalker and Beachhead. "I'm sorry you had to witness that."

"Don't apologize. I'm actually surprised you didn't sock him one," Beachhead said.

"Me too," Stalker added. "And even though I tried to stop you, if you decided to ignore me, I would have helped hold him down."

"Thanks for the support." Flint said. "But do me a favor. Don't tell Alison what happened. She gets a bit perturbed if she thinks I'm being overprotective."

Beachhead smiled. "Deal. Although. this is one of the rare times where you were actually justified in your actions. I knew she was concerned about someone, but I didn't think it was this bad. But, don't worry. Not only will I continue her training, but I'm going to make sure she is never alone with General Jackass."

Stalker promised as well, which relieved some of Flint's lingering anxiety. If he couldn't be there himself, he was glad that they had good friends to help out.

Between General Cavanaugh and the Jugglers, Flint had a lot of nervous energy to expend. He decided to take another walk to clear his head. When he returned, he was happy to see that Alison was back as well. They had just started to discuss going for an early lunch, when Flint's phone beeped. He frowned when he saw the code alert that meant an immediate return to HQ.

"Something wrong?" Alison asked.

"I'm about to find out," Flint answered as he dialed the number to the communications room. Once Breaker answered, Flint asked him what was the reason for the message.

"To be honest, I don't know. Anvil asked me to send it to you, but he didn't say why. I wasn't going to ask a lot of questions since he was in an extremely foul mood."

Flint rubbed at his temples. "Thanks. I'll see you soon." He hung up the phone and with a sharp exhale he told Alison that he needed to leave.

Alison got permission from Hawk to drive him to Andrews Air Force base, where Flint's Skystriker was still parked. Once they arrived at the base, the two climbed out of the car. Flint wrapped his arms around Alison and brought her close for a hug. "I'm sorry to run out on you."

"It's okay. Just let me know what's going on."

"I will." He leaned in for a long kiss and then reluctantly pulled away.

A few hours later Flint switched the auto-pilot off and turned his attention to the landing at HQ. Even though he had made the landing dozens, if not hundreds of times, he never took it for granted. He remembered one of his flight instructors telling his class that a distracted pilot was a dead pilot. So as he went through the procedures, he forced himself to put aside all of the thoughts he had been dwelling on the past couple of hours.

He had hoped that the ride back would soothe his anger that had been simmering since that morning. But it hadn't. As his wheels touched down on the tarmac, he realized he was even more frustrated than when he left D.C.

Instead of dwelling on General Cavanaugh and the Jugglers he tried to focus on the good parts of the visit to help calm himself down. The weekend with Alison had been wonderful. The poker game at Stalker's had been a lot of fun. He was also glad they had made significant progress on the nursery. It wasn't completely finished, but he hoped that would be accomplished on his next visit.

The fact that he didn't know when that would be added to his frustration. He climbed out of the Skystriker. He had only gotten a couple of steps away from it when Ace met him. "Anvil wants you in his office STAT."

Flint let out a grumble in reply, but he followed the order. He entered HQ and passed Snow Job in the hallway. "Good you're here. The general is looking for you."

"I heard," Flint replied. As he went to turn the corner towards the general's office, Dusty ran over to him.

"Welcome back, Flint. Anvil wants," Dusty began but Flint cut him off.

"I know. I'm going to his office right now. Geez, did he make a PA announcement about me?"

"Actually, yes he did," Dusty answered.

Flint exhaled sharply. He couldn't dwell too much on the reason behind Anvil's impatience to see him, as Dusty fell in step with him as he continued his walk.

"Did you have a nice trip?" Dusty asked.

Flint turned to him. "I'm sorry Dusty, but I'm not really in the mood for pleasantries."

Dusty gave a sad nod. "I understand. I'm not really in the mood either."

Despite his foul mood, Flint stopped and took the time to study Dusty. He noticed that the soldier seemed tired and anxious. "Are you all right?"

Dusty again nodded with a frown. "I'm okay. I'm just worried about my mom. She's back in the hospital."

"I'm sorry to hear that."

"Thank you. I shouldn't be as nervous as I am. This is only supposed to be a routine procedure. But I'm afraid nothing is routine for her at her age and with her medical history."

Flint couldn't help but think about the last time that Dusty's mother was in poor health. It had led to a gigantic misunderstanding that nearly cost Dusty his job and freedom. Flint remembered how he had firmly believed that Dusty had sold out his country and his team to try and help his mother. Even though they had long since cleared the air, Flint couldn't help but still feel guilty for his lack of faith in the soldier. "Do you want to take some time off?"

"I do. That's why I want to meet with Anvil as well."

They reached the general's office, and Flint waved him through. "You go first. I have a feeling I might be here a while."

Flint used the time to check in with Alison. Since he didn't want to anger Anvil any further, he kept the conversation short. Once Dusty walked out, looking a little more relieved than when he went in, Flint wished his mother well and then entered the office.

"What the hell did you do?" Anvil barked at him.

Even though Flint knew the general was upset, he was still surprised by the ferocity of the question. "I'm not sure what you mean, if it's about Action Force…"

Anvil cut him off. "I don't give a shit about your thoughts about Action Force. What I want to know is why I had gotten a call from a very agitated General Cavanaugh telling me that I need to put a leash on my rabid Warrant Officer."

"He called you?" Flint asked dumbly.

"Damn right he did. He claimed he was doing me a favor by not writing you up. He flung some BS about our history together being the only reason why he didn't. Which in Jugglers speak means that I now owe him a favor I'm sure he's going to look to cash in."

"Sir, I'm sorry I put you in a bad situation, but he was harassing…"

"I don't care if he was beating up orphans and stealing little old ladies' purses. Once again your lack of discipline and control put the Joe team in a difficult situation."

Flint figured that was an exaggeration, but he wasn't going to call Anvil on it. But what he wanted to do was defend his actions. "I know you just said you don't care why, but hear me out. That son of bitch had been harassing Alison to the point that she was taking self-defense classes. Once I witnessed first-hand the way he was treating her, I was not going to let him get away with that kind of behavior. I have to believe that if it was Elaine being harassed, you too would have taken care of the situation regardless of how much the guy out ranked you."

Anvil remained quiet for a few moments and then he shook his head. "Cavanaugh has always been a prick. He was fit to be tied when the Jugglers were formed, and he wasn't asked to be a founding member. But what he doesn't understand is that he suffers from visions of grandeur and that the rest of us are not nearly as impressed with him as he is with himself."

"Something must have changed, since he's a card-carrying member now," Flint said.

"My guess? He's got dirt on somebody and he used that to get in. Which is why he's a dangerous enemy to have."

Flint had encountered his fair share of men like General Cavanaugh over the years, so he knew he could handle him. But he was still worried about Alison. "Dangerous enough that he might hurt Alison?"

"No, in that aspect he's all talk and no action."

"That's comforting, I guess." Now that the immediate crisis appeared to be over, Flint was able to focus on the fact that he was wiped out and his head was pounding. "Sir, I'm sorry, but can I be excused? It's been an extremely long day."

General Bradshaw studied him for a moment. "You do look like crap. Take the night off, and let's regroup in the morning."

Flint returned to his room. He swallowed a handful of aspirin and then called Alison. Despite his early reluctance to tell her what happened, he decided for her safety it was better she knew. Luckily, she answered the phone.

"Wow," Alison said once he told her the whole story. "I knew he was a jerk, but I didn't realize he was that big of a one. That does explain why Wayne insisted on walking me to my car this afternoon."

Flint smiled. He figured his next phone call was going to be to Beachhead. "So just be careful, okay?"

"I will. I love you, Dash."

"I love you too," Flint echoed. For the second time that day he was left wondering if he had done enough.


	11. Chapter 11

The next month passed quickly and peacefully. Alison had no further run-ins with General Cavanaugh and life at Joe HQ continued on at status quo. The only major change that occurred was the commanders instituted a new on-call system based on block scheduling, meaning they ended up with two or three days off at a time.

The new schedule obviously benefited Flint and Anvil, which gave them more chances to fly to DC. But Flint noticed that both Falcon and Duke took advantage as well and spent more time away from base.

One of Flint's scheduled leave periods happened during the middle of the week in late February. Alison had offered to take the days off when she found out he was coming, but he told her not to. She needed to save as much time as possible for her maternity leave. And even though it cut into the time they spent together, Flint wanted to use the time while she was at work to tackle the last remaining items on the nursery to-do list.

He jumped into the action the minute Alison left for work. He not only picked up the dresser, changing table and curtains the two had picked out, but he called his mother to get her recipe for one of his favorite meals. Flint didn't have a lot of faith in his cooking skills, but he figured if he followed the instructions his mother spelled out for him, he had a shot of making something edible.

It turned out to be perfect timing, because Alison returned home that afternoon with the announcement that she had officially completed her training period, and she had been declared a full-fledged intelligence analyst.

After Flint hugged and congratulated her, she beamed at him. "I don't mean to brag, but Richard said I was the fastest of his trainees to reach IA status."

"That doesn't surprise me in the least."

"Thanks," she said. "I'm glad you never lost faith in me. After everything I went through with General Bradshaw, I was starting to doubt my abilities." She stopped and sniffed the air. "Did you cook?"

"I did. It's my mom's recipe for pot roast and potatoes. I hope I did it justice."

"I'm sure it's going to delicious. Either way, it's a nice change of pace from my usual eat-quick meals, so I really appreciate your effort."

Flint grabbed her hand and led her down the hall. "I wasn't only busy in the kitchen. I finished the nursery."

Alison gasped as she looked into the room. "Dash, it's perfect." She grinned at him. "You are the best house-husband."

He flew back to Arizona two mornings later, in the best frame of mind since they started their separation. Unfortunately, his good mood only lasted until he got back and walked into Anvil's office for an update. Duke and the general were staring at paperwork on the desk with such a look of despair that for a moment, Flint thought he might have missed a national tragedy that occurred while he was flying back.

"What happened?" he asked.

"We just got the preliminary numbers for our next fiscal year budget," Duke answered as he handed him a couple of sheets of paper.

Flint looked down and was shocked by the figure he saw at the bottom of the page. He quickly did the math. "They want to cut our budget by nearly two-thirds?"

"Apparently," Duke answered.

"Who is behind this? General Cavanaugh?"

"No," Anvil replied with a shake of his head. "This is way above his pay grade."

Flint assumed that meant that the budget came from either the president's office, or someone just below him. I thought the new guy in office was going to increase the defense budget?"

"He is. But only for projects that he thinks is worthy. It looks like G.I. Joe is not on that list," Duke said.

"This is crazy. How do they expect us to function with a budget this small?" Flint asked.

"I think that's the point," Duke said with a shake of his head. "They don't expect us to function."

Flint wasn't ready to just give up. "So now what?"

"Duke and I were discussing our game plan. We were debating whether this was a serious recommendation on their parts, or just a ploy to get our attention."

Flint settled back into his chair. "If it is a ploy, it worked."

Falcon entered the room. "No officer's call today?"

"I postponed it," Anvil explained. "I don't want to start a mass panic." He nodded at Flint to hand Falcon the documents.

Once Falcon looked them over he said, "They can't be serious. Please tell me we have a plan to combat this."

Flint too looked at Anvil, since he had asked the same question. The general sighed. "If this is the budget they are submitting, and it gets approved there is very little we can do. But we're a long way from there. Right now I'm going to give General Abernathy a call to see if he has any words of wisdom."

A few minutes later Hawk was on the phone and Anvil put him on speaker so they all could hear him. "Let me guess, you received your copy of the preliminary budget numbers."

"That's an affirmative," Anvil replied. "We're hoping you can put our minds at ease."

Hawk exhaled sharply. "I wish I could. However, the president is adamant about sticking to his campaign promise of cutting taxes, so he came down hard on all of the departments. If it makes you feel any better, the DoD made cuts across the board."

"It doesn't," Anvil answered. "So what do you suggest? I'm not exactly a fan of the 'roll over and play dead' route."

"Good. Because that's the worst thing you could do right now. What I recommend is go over your numbers again. I know you just went through a pretty drastic cut, but there still has to be some fat you can trim. If they see that you are willing to work with you, maybe they'll meet you halfway."

Flint grimaced. Even a budget cut half as bad as what the Jugglers proposed would be extremely painful for the Joe team. Hawk continued, "My second recommendation may be a bit harder to follow through on. The President is all about his image, so any programs that are in the public eye may be spared. Which means if you could nab a terrorist or two on the most wanted list, you could help your standing a great deal."

"Thanks for the help, General Abernathy. We'll be in touch," Anvil said and then hung up the phone. He faced the men in front of him. "Let's not waste any time. I want a full audit of our operating budget, with any and every recommendation on what we can afford to cut back on. Once we have the numbers, I'm going to fly to DC to present it to the Jugglers myself."

Duke and Flint both nodded their reluctant assents, while Falcon shook his head. "Wait a minute. What about Hawk's second suggestion?"

Duke shot his brother a disapproving look. "We've been doing that for months. Unless you came across some intelligence that," Duke trailed off as Falcon smirked at him. "What did you find out?"

"I was going to present this at officer's call this morning. The Dreadnoks have been running amok through Florida the last few days. At first it wasn't big news because they were engaged in mostly misdemeanor, nuisance type acts. But last night they set the warehouse they were staying in on fire. In addition to the city block that ended up burning down, three firefighters suffered injuries fighting the blaze. The governor was on all of the major news stations this morning calling for their heads.

"So while Zartan may not be one of America's most wanted at the moment, I think if we get him and as many of his Dreadnoks off the street, it will help the Joe's image immensely."

Anvil looked from Flint to Duke. Both men nodded. "Falcon, put a team together and get on the road as quickly as possible. With any luck, if you're successful, we won't have to tell the majority of people out there that they are in danger of losing their jobs."

* * *

"After not hearing from the team for two days, we finally got a brief message that they were returning to HQ," Flint explained. From the moment Alison answered the phone, she could tell from Flint's excitement level that this was not a standard nightly phone call. She let him continue. "Anvil, Duke and I went up to the tarmac to welcome them back. Duke was annoyed by Falcon's theatrics, but I think in reality he was worried about the kid.

"The Tomahawk landed, and out jumps Falcon looking grim. I know the three of us had the same thought that once again we failed, which is exactly what Falcon wanted us to think. He walked in front of Anvil, saluted and then he breaks into a huge shit-eating grin. 'The Jugglers wanted a Cobra prisoner, they got one,' he said. He nodded towards Gung-Ho, who reached into the cargo hold and threw Zartan out of the Tomahawk and on to the ground."

Alison gasped. "They caught Zartan?"

"Yep, along with Thrasher and Monkeywrench."

Alison had a list of questions, but she focused on the one that was bothering her the most. This was the first she had heard about the mission, which wasn't unusual. But what was odd was that she hadn't learned of the Joes' newest prisoners earlier in the day. "I'm surprised Hawk didn't say anything."

"That's because he doesn't know. We haven't informed DC yet."

"You're keeping this a secret? Why?" Alison asked.

"We wanted some time alone with Zartan before the Jugglers come marching in here to take control."

Alison began to protest. "Dash, you can't do this to me. You shouldn't have told me either. You can't expect me to withhold this kind of news from Hawk."

"I don't. Anvil's going to call the Jugglers within the hour. By the time you get into work tomorrow I'm sure the news will be all over the Pentagon."

Once again Alison felt like she wasn't getting the whole story. "How long has Zartan been a prisoner?"

"Four days," Flint simply said.

Alison smiled. Despite the fact that she was part of the group kept in the dark, she was glad that the Joes held on to their secret as long as they did. "I was wondering why you didn't seem like you wanted to talk the last few days."

"I'm sorry about that. I had a feeling that you wouldn't want to know. So instead of making up stories about my day, I figured it was easier avoiding the conversation as much as possible."

"I understand. I assume Zartan's been treated to the standard Joe interrogation?"

"Oh, no. Since we were limited on time, we upgraded him to the deluxe package. We're throwing everything we've got at him."

"Good. Have you gotten anything useful from him?"

"Unfortunately, no. We've been hitting him hard about giving up Zarana and Zandar, but you know how tight those siblings are. He's willing to wait it out in the hopes that he gets busted out."

"Honestly, with the Joe's history when it comes to prisoners, that's probably not a bad plan"

"I know. That's what worries us. Which is why we broke down this afternoon and decided it was time to alert DC."

The baby kicked a particularly sore spot of her ribs. Alison startled, which caused a stabbing pain in her hip. She tried to muffle her cry, but Flint heard it.

"Are you okay?"

Yeah. Just typical late pregnancy pains."

"Contractions?" Flint asked with concern.

"No, I think it's sciatica," she said as she rubbed at her hip.

"That doesn't sound good."

"It's not that bad. Lydia said it should go away after she's born."

Flint scoffed. "Remind me what medical school she attended?"

"Since she's been through this three times, I trust her judgement more than the guy who sees me for two minutes every other week."

"That may be, but I'd still feel better if you got a professional opinion."

Alison walked into the kitchen to look at her calendar. "My next appointment is Tuesday, so I'll ask him then. I assume based on your news, you're not going to be able to come for a visit any time soon?"

"Unfortunately, yes. All leave has been canceled for the time being. If the Dreadnoks do decide to try and break out Zartan, we do not want to be short-handed."

"That's understandable." Alison continued to stare at the calendar. "I start childbirth classes on Thursday. It's a four-week program, so maybe you can make one of the dates."

"I'll do my best. Did you find a stand-in for me?"

"Yes, Wayne."

Flint went silent. "Seriously?"

Alison let out a laugh. "No, I'm kidding. I did ask him, and of course he looked at me like I went mad. Lydia is going to be my partner."

"I'm glad you two have hit it off so well."

"Me too. There are times that I feel like I'm bothering her, but she insists I'm not. She said she and Stalker revisited the idea of having another baby once he got the orders to move here. They decided not to, and even though she's accepted that idea, she likes reliving the experience through me. Personally, I can't imagine doing this a second time, nevermind three or four."

"Are you trying to tell me I'm not going to get the Faireborn basketball team I've always dreamed of?"

Alison laughed. "If you're serious I hope you have another wife or two lined up for that job."

Flint too laughed. But then a buzzing noise in the background interrupted him. "I'm sorry, Al, but I have to go."

"Okay. I'll talk to you soon. Love you."

Alison hung up the phone. She turned her attention back to the calendar and flipped the page so she could once again look at the red circle around the date April 30th. As usual, she was hit with a mixture of excitement and dread. As if sensing her thoughts, the baby started moving around. She rubbed at her stomach. "I hope that's not your way of letting me you know you're planning on coming out soon. As much as I would like my body back, I'd also like you to stay in there a little longer."

She walked into the nursery. Since Flint had installed the dresser, she had made a few shopping trips to begin to fill the drawers. She tried to not become one of those mother-to-be that bought dozens of outfits and items that would probably never be used. But every night after work she had a habit of looking around the room and coming up with a list of things she thought she still needed.

On top of the dresser was a pack of onesies. She opened them and held one out in front of her. It was so tiny. She began to imagine trying to put it on her daughter, and a new wave of nervousness overcame her. She had finally confessed to Lydia the past weekend about the near panic attacks she was having whenever she thought about life with a newborn. Lydia assured her that her feelings were natural, but Alison couldn't help but be skeptical of her mothering skills.

It didn't help that most nights she had a parenting nightmare. The first one Alison remembered having was taking the baby into the woods, and then somehow misplacing her. The latest one was the previous night. She was in a small downtown area, watching a parade. One of the floats stopped in front of her, and Cobra Commander had jumped down. Before she could stop him, the Commander had grabbed the stroller and disappeared.

She had woken up in a cold sweat, and tossed and turned the rest of the night until her alarm went off. Since she was still tired from her sleepless night, she decided an early bedtime would help her mindset. Nothing could be gained from dwelling on her fears. She gave one last look at the nursery before she turned out the light.


	12. Chapter 12

Laird James McClellan Destro finished reading the documents in his hand. He went back over the crucial sections and then turned his attention to the man that was fidgeting on the other side of his desk. "If I'm not mistaken, the last few transactions netted me a greater loss than was expected."

"No, sir, you are correct."

Destro stared at the man. "Aren't I paying you a large sum of money to accurately predict these dealings?

Beads of sweat broke out on the man's forehead. "I apologize. The US markets have been extremely volatile since the election. But I'll do better."

"Make sure that you do. If I see numbers this off again, finding different employment will be the least of your problems."

Destro dismissed him. Once he was alone, he unmuted the television in his office. He had been in the middle of catching up on world events before he was disturbed by his incompetent accountant. His office door opened again, and Destro whirled around, prepared to berate whomever was disturbing him again. But he smiled when he saw that it was Anastasia.

"How are you feeling my dear?"

"Terrible." She entered his office, followed by her nurse that was holding the small bundle. The woman who had given up the name of Baroness gingerly sat down on the couch and gestured towards the bassinet that was in the corner.

Helga, the frumpy and older nurse that Anastasia had insisted on hiring did as was told. "Would you like me to stay and keep an eye on the lad?"

"That won't be necessary," Destro said.

Once Helga left, Anastasia asked, "Aren't you working?"

"I can take a break to spend a few minutes with my wife and son."

She shifted on the couch, her face grimacing in pain. "I'm afraid neither one of us is good company right now. The pain pill I took should take effect shortly, and Alexander doesn't do much more than eat and cry."

Destro walked over to the bassinet and looked down at the baby that was sleeping peacefully. "He seems content right now. If that changes, I'll call Helga."

He returned to his desk, and only half listened to the anchor's reading of the news briefs. His mind was still on the disappointing news he had received earlier. But then Anastasia asked, "Is that Zartan?"

Destro looked at the screen. She was correct. Zartan, cuffed at the hands and ankles was shown being led into an armored prisoner vehicle. In the background stood several familiar G.I. Joe faces standing in front of their headquarters.

"As you can see the transport is underway," the perky blonde reporter announced. "The G.I Joe leadership team would not confirm an exact arrival date and location for Zartan's final destination, but my sources indicate that within twenty-four hours, he will be a guest at ADMax Florence, more commonly known as the Alcatraz of the Rockies."

Destro scoffed, "The press never learn. Don't they realize how dangerous it is to release that kind of information?"

"It worked out well for them when they set us up during the Ghost charade," the Baroness mumbled as she started to nod off.

"Not us," Destro reminded her. "Serpentor and Cobra Commander were the victims in that debacle."

The Baroness was soon fast asleep. Destro turned off the television so as not to disturb her rest. The Zartan story had improved his mood. Although, as he looked between her and the bassinet that held his son, he realized that wasn't entirely true. Destro still held a fair amount of ill-will towards Zartan, and he was pleased to see the mercenary in chains. But he was proof of the former life Destro was working to permanently and completely sever ties to.

So while his portfolio was taking a hit as he was selling his controlling shares of MARS Industries, it was a necessary evil to help secure a stable future for Alexander. And MARS was only one item on the to-do list. Seeing the Joe team assembled reminded him of one of the other loose threads he had to cut ties to. Picking up his office phone, he dialed the number of his most trusted assistant and said, "I need all of the current information available on Alison Hart-Burnett."

* * *

Alison shifted on the couch. She was bored. She had long since given up on finding something interesting to watch on the television. And since she couldn't get comfortable in a sitting position for too long, reading was out of the question. She stood up and looked out the window. The snow flurries had died down. Luckily, the early spring snowstorm hadn't been as bad as the forecasters had predicted. She could see the breaks in the clouds in the distance, so she decided to go for a walk around the block.

She dressed warmly, and then left her home. It was cold, and Alison wrapped her scarf tighter around her face. But the baby who had become her internal heater was keeping the rest of her warm. As she walked, she focused on the real reason for her current funk, the fact that Flint had called earlier in the day to say that his leave request was once again denied.

Alison had thought that once Zartan was safely in the hands of the Feds, the Joes would return to a normal on-call schedule. But their heroics in catching the Dreadnok leader and two of his closest companions had caught the attention of the media and the President, which meant that any plans the Jugglers may have had to eliminate the team were currently on hold.

That didn't mean the Joes' money problems were over. The DoD budget talks were set to begin in a month's time after the annual series of joint training exercises concluded. Initially, G.I. Joe hadn't been invited to participate in the exercise, which wasn't unusual. Normally the Joes would have been sidetracked with a mission against Cobra, or involved in their own in-house training to take part in the yearly DoD exercises.

The Joes never cared about their lack of participation in the past. They didn't need a graded war game to prove their worth. Their successful actions in the field against Cobra was enough to show they earned an excellent grade. But this year the exercise was being tied to the budget negotiations, so participation was critical.

They finally received their invitation the day Zartan was transferred out of Headquarters. While that was the good news they were waiting for, they were severely behind the curve in preparing for the exercise that was due to start the second week of April. Flint had been put in charge of organizing the Joe team into smaller groups, and developing practice training exercises to help them prepare.

Therefore, Alison hadn't been surprised that Flint wasn't able to take the time off to visit, but she was still disappointed. Her final childbirth class was in a few days, and unless Flint's schedule drastically changed he was going to miss it, like he had missed the previous three classes. One of the instructors had informed Alison that most hospitals around the country offered partner classes, and after looking into it she saw there were a few in the Phoenix area. However, Flint had been too busy to attend any of those.

Lydia had assured her that it wasn't necessary for Flint to attend a class, as most of the childbirth experience was on-the-job training. Alison's biggest fear though, wasn't that Flint wouldn't know what to do while she was in labor, but that he wouldn't be able to attend the event. She had broached that topic with him earlier in the day, and he once again assured her that no matter what was happening, he was going to be at her side to watch the birth of his daughter. But Alison knew that was a promise that he might not be able to keep.

As she had done so many times in the last few months, she forced herself to not worry about future events she had no control over. She knew too that most of her negative thoughts were stemming from her current loneliness. Hawk had volunteered earlier in the week to send Stalker and Beachhead to HQ to help the Joes train. And while the general stayed in DC, he had been busy with the other brass preparing for the exercise. So, she had been alone in the office the last couple of days. In addition, Lydia had taken the kids to visit her family while Stalker was gone.

Alison sighed. "Lonely and useless," she muttered. Due to the very late stage of her pregnancy, her work time had been restricted to eight hours a day, five days a week. Therefore, she had been requested to continue on with her duties, while nearly the rest of the Pentagon planned for the exercise.

The Pentagon was going to be the center of operations. Many of the details still needed to be finalized, but from what Alison had heard the basic premise of the exercise was that a foreign power was going to attack the East Coast of the United States. It sounded interesting, and while Alison knew her work was still very important she wished she could participate in the fictional attack.

She was still deep in thought as she completed the loop and approached her doorstep. She noticed a limo was double-parked in front of her brownstone. The car itself wasn't anything out of the ordinary, but the two men standing behind it were. They looked like standard limo drivers, however she saw that one was intently staring at her house, while the other was focused on her.

Alison slowed down and contemplated her options as she pretended to fiddle with her phone. She could attempt to get to her door and barricade herself in her house where she had a couple of weapons to protect herself. However, since she wasn't as spry or quick as she used to be, she doubted she could get past them. She could turn around and attempt to outrun them, but again her physical limitations made that a poor option.

She wished she had her javelins, that she hadn't touched since she left the Joes. So she grabbed the only weapon she did have, her phone. She dialed the last number called, and brought the phone to her ear. She then calmly began to turn around.

"Lady Jaye, wait! Can we talk to you?"

The use of her code name startled her. It most likely meant they were related to Cobra. She brought the phone down and reluctantly faced them. "Who are you?"

"Our names aren't important. But we work for Laird McClellan."

"Destro? That explains the limo." Alison asked as she tried to hide her fear that had kicked up a notch.

"Yes, ma'am. You are in no danger, he just asked to have a conversation with you."

Alison laughed. "Forgive me that I have a hard time believing that. Tell your boss to call me, because I am not going anywhere with you."

The man that had stayed quiet took a few steps towards her. It became apparent that he was the "bad cop" of the duo. "Listen, lady, you don't have a choice. Our boss told us that we shouldn't hurt you, but he also made it very clear that we need to bring you to him."

Alison was in a bad spot. It was ludicrous to just give in and let the men take her to Destro, but if she resisted or fought back there was the chance she could hurt the baby. With a sigh, she nodded and walked towards the car. She hoped that they were true to their word.

She got into the back seat and noticed that the windows were covered so she couldn't see outside. That once again raised her anxiety level, and she subtlety checked her phone. The call was still connected, so she hoped that Flint was listening in. She was sure he was probably frantic, but she wanted to help him track her in case things went very wrong.

* * *

Flint's phone rang and he smiled when he saw it was Alison. Their earlier conversation hadn't gone well after he had told her about his canceled leave. He knew she was upset and frustrated by the situation, so he had tried to stay quiet while she verbally lashed out at him. But then she brought up her fears about him missing the birth. He did his best to placate her, but he could tell she hadn't been convinced. She had then abruptly hung up on him. He had wanted to call her back, but not only did he have to watch over the morning's training exercise, he knew in her current frame of mind he was better off waiting until she calmed down and called him first.

The training exercise had concluded, so her call was perfect timing. "Hey, babe. Are you feeling better?"

He was met with silence. He at first thought he had said the wrong thing, and had set her off again but then he realized he was listening into a muffled conversation. He tried to determine if she had only dialed him accidentally, or if she had gotten side-tracked by a second conversation while waiting for him to answer. It was hard to understand exactly what was being said, but then he heard the word "Destro" that turned his blood cold.

He raced out of his office towards the computer room. Luckily, Dial-Tone and Mainframe were both there reviewing the results of the training. He snapped his fingers to get their attention. "Dial-Tone, I need you to trace a phone number."

Dial-Tone snapped to attention. He jumped up and went to one of the other computers. Flint rattled off the phone number that he knew by heart. He then added that it belonged to Alison. While Dial-Tone frantically typed away Mainframe asked, "Is she okay?"

"I don't know." Flint explained the little he knew.

"Are you still connected?" After Flint nodded, Mainframe said. "Put it on speaker and bring it here. I can record the conversation."

There was silence for a few moments, and Flint wondered if the call had been dropped. But then he heard Alison ask, "Why are the limo's windows blacked out?"

The second voice wasn't quite as loud and clear, but the computer's speaker helped magnify the answer. "Laird McClellan likes his security."

"So I assume you're not going to tell me where I'm going?"

"Nope. You'll see when you get there."

The phone went silent. Flint clamped down on his fear. He turned towards Dial-Tone, "How's that trace coming?"

"It's still triangulating. Sometimes it takes a while."

Flint exhaled sharply. "Mainframe, get Hawk on the phone and tell him what's happening. I assume she was approached at home, so I'd like him to get a team over there."

Dial-Tone rattled off an address. "Is that your home? It's the last known location of the phone."

Flint looked over Dial-Tone's shoulder at the screen. "Yes. But what do you mean last known location?"

"The program honed in on that spot, and said it was active as of a few minutes ago. But it's still trying to find their present location."

"They can't be that far away, so how hard can it be?"

"My guess?" Mainframe chimed in. "They're blocking the signal."

Flint shook his head. "No, that's not good enough. We need to find out where they are taking her."

While Dial-Tone sputtered that he was doing the best he could, Mainframe led Flint to his computer. "I may have another way of tracking her. I think Alison is leaving us a trail of breadcrumbs." He handed Flint a pair of headphones. "Put these on. It's faint, so these will help you hear it."

Flint closed his eyes as he focused on the ambient noise in the car. He missed the first whispered word, but then he heard the next two – "Stop" and "Right". Flint's eyes shot open. "She's giving us directions." He turned towards Dial-Tone to order him to switch tactics, but the communications expert had already grabbed a second set of headphones and had begun to transcribe the directions.

"Help him," Flint said to Mainframe. "I'll call Hawk."

Flint stepped out of the room to give the two techs the quiet they needed. He headed towards Anvil's office as he dialed Hawk's number. It would save time as he could alert both generals to the situation at the same time. Hawk answered at the same time he knocked on Anvil's door. "Hawk, I'm putting you on speaker because we have a situation. It appears Alison has been detained by someone working for Destro."

After Flint summed up what he knew, Hawk agreed to send a team to their house. He promised a call back once he arrived on scene. After he hung up, Anvil walked with Flint back to the computer room. Flint was pleased to see that while Mainframe continued to listen to the audio, Duke had joined Dial-Tone and the two were working with a map of the area. "How's it going?"

"Okay," Dial-Tone answered. "I'm making a lot of assumptions on their rate of travel based on speed limits and current traffic conditions, so there's definitely a high error factor. But I think I have a general idea of where they are."

Before Flint had a chance to ask where that was, the chatter on the phone picked up. He clearly heard a male voice say, "Damn it, she has a phone." and then the call was cut off.

Even though he knew it was futile, Flint picked up his phone and started calling her name, but the call had ended. He redialed the number, but it went right to voice mail. He then turned to Dial-Tone who looked grim. "Where were they?"

Dial-Tone looked at the map and then back at him. "Unfortunately, I'm fairly certain they were on the Beltway."

Flint slammed his hands on the table. That basically meant they could have been headed anywhere in the city or surrounding area. Too many what-if scenarios began to play through his head. But one thing he was certain of. "I have to go out there."

Anvil put a hand on his shoulder. "That's not a good idea, at least not right now. Even if you take a Skystrker it's still going to take you a few hours to get there. Let Hawk and his team handle it now."

Flint hesitated for just a moment. If Stalker and Beachhead were still in DC, he might have agreed to back off and let them handle it. But since he didn't know what kind of team Hawk would be able to put together, there was no question about his actions. "I'm sorry, General, but I'm not going to sit here idly. Either I'm going to be there to welcome her back once Hawk finds her, or I'm going to rescue her myself," he said before he made his way to the door.

"Flint, don't make me order you to stand down." Anvil threatened.

"Sir, do what you have to do, but it's not going to stop me."

Flint stormed from the room. With a look of exasperation, Anvil turned towards Duke, who shrugged. "I've learned over the years that when Alison is in trouble, your best bet is to stay out of his way."

* * *

Luckily for Alison, other than them confiscating it, there had been no repercussions once the men found out she had a phone. They reached their destination less than five minutes later. They parked, and the driver got out of the car while the second man stayed in the back seat with her.

"Now what?" she asked.

"We wait for the Laird."

Alison looked out the blackened window to see if she could make out anything to give her an idea of where they were, but it was too dark. So she tried a different tactic. "Can I have my phone back? I just want to tell my husband that I'm safe." The man ignored her so she continued. "You do realize that he will bring the whole power of the Joe team to find me?"

"The Laird took steps to make sure we wouldn't be traced."

Alison was going to argue further but then there was a knock on the trunk. "He's here," the man said. "Don't try anything funny."

The door opened and Destro walked in. He took a seat across from her and then nodded at the man who left. Once they were alone Destro spoke. "I trust they didn't harm you?"

"I'm fine. Although like I informed your bodyguard, Flint's probably frantic and you know that won't end well for you."

Destro let out a laugh. "It's good to hear your husband is still feisty. Don't worry, I only need a few minutes of your time and then you can reassure him that all is well. As a new father myself, I understand the strong desire to protect one's family."

That shocked Alison. "You had a baby?"

"Technically, Anastasia delivered the child, but yes, I have a son. He will be two weeks old tomorrow."

The image of a doting Destro and Baroness with an infant was so surreal, that Alison had to bite down on a laugh. However, the idea of Destro constructing a baby silver mask to match his own caused her to smile.

"What's so amusing? Despite our allegiance to Cobra, the one thing that never wavered was our commitment to each other. Marriage and starting a family was the next logical step."

Alison thought of a few times that she knew their commitment to each had definitely been tested. But she still wasn't surprised that they did get married. While she could accept that, what she couldn't believe was the idea of the Baroness becoming a mother. "And I'm sure the Baroness is an excellent mother." Destro went to respond but she waved him off. "Look we can spend hours insulting each other, and talking about our children both current and future, but I doubt that's why you are keeping me hostage."

"Actually, that is exactly why you are my guest this afternoon. I want to do everything in my power to protect my son. Anastasia and I are trying to give him a normal a life as possible. I know we have engaged in questionable activities in the past, but that is over now, so we don't want any trouble from the Joes."

Alison laughed. "Even if I believed you, there's nothing I can do. I guess you haven't heard that I don't work for the Joes anymore."

"No, I am well aware of your change of employment. My condolences. That was one of the benefits of working for Cobra. They didn't have the pesky fraternization rules like the US military. But it seems like you made out okay with your new assignment at the Pentagon. From what I understand, the Joes aren't exactly what they used to be, and now have to take orders from DC. So even though you aren't technically working for them anymore, I imagine you still have some input on potential missions."

"You may be overestimating my influence."

"I don't believe so. I'm sure Hawk still values your opinions. And you don't have to take my word for it. You saw first hand that there was nothing remotely unlawful happening at my castle's construction site. And while you were hoping to catch Anastasia red-handed in some sort of illegal dealings, I assure you that at the time you were spying on her in Greece, she truly was just attending a friend's wedding. We had learned of her pregnancy a few weeks before the event, which had helped convince us that our lifestyle change had been the right call."

Everything Destro said was true. But Alison still had a hard time believing he and the Baroness were completely on the side of good. "Look, Destro, if it was up to me despite whatever good intentions you claim you have, I would still want you to answer for your past crimes. But that's not my jurisdiction. And because of that I know you are always going to be on the Joes radar. So if you want us to leave you alone, then quite simply stay out of trouble."

Destro thought for a moment and then he nodded. "I guess that is the best I can expect."

"Okay, can I go now?"

"Shortly. I have one more matter than I need to discuss with you, this time it is more of a personal nature. I'm sure you recall the time you were a guest in my castle?"

Alison smirked. "You mean the time that one of your associates hatched an elaborate scheme to lure me there under false pretenses? I have a vague recollection of it."

"The associate in question was the Baroness. And while it was part of her plan to punish me for a transgression I committed, the information she shared with you was factual."

Alison shook her head. "Now, I know that's bullshit. I admit I was curious after my little adventure, and I looked into my family line. I didn't find any connection to you or a distant relative."

"I'm disappointed in you. I thought with your skills you would have done a better job of investigating your past." Alison tensed as Destro reached into the briefcase, and then relaxed when he handed her a folder. "During your research did you come across the name Walter Cullen?"

"Perhaps. But since that was a couple of years ago, I can't say for certain."

"If you did, you obviously didn't pay him a lot of attention or look into his background. Because if you had you would have seen that Walter Cullen was the name he took after he emigrated to the United States from Scotland. His birth name was Walter McClellan. He decided to leave Scotland after his wife died in childbirth. Apparently he was so distraught by the loss that he left the child behind to be raised by his brother and sister-in-law. That child was the original James McClellan. And as you may or may not know, once in the United States, Walter remarried and had six children. One of them was a little girl who would eventually become Dame Agatha Doyle. Long story short, we share a great to the fourth power grandparent."

Alison was speechless. "Why are you telling me this?"

"Because as I mentioned earlier, my family is very important to me. I want to protect my son's legacy, part of which is the soon to be completed Castle Destro. That castle had always represented what the McClellan family stood for, which was why it was a devastating blow to see it destroyed. But its rebuild is a metaphor of my and my family's name rebirth. I have been working through the current family members weeding out the undesirables and making it quite clear they are not welcome at my home. You, unfortunately are on that list.

"If it's any consolation, you would have been considered persona non gratas even if we hadn't been on opposite sides of the Cobra war. Once Walter abandoned his child, the McClellans disowned him and his heirs." Destro nodded towards the folder. "In there is much more detailed information about our history. You may or may not find it interesting reading. I also had my lawyer draft up a document that removes any claim you and your heirs have to my castle. Once you sign that, you are free to go."

Alison flipped through the paperwork as she tried to wrap her head around all that Destro had said. None of it seemed real.

"If you feel it is absolutely necessary to have your own lawyer review the paperwork, you can return it to the office listed on there. But I must insist on having this done as soon as possible."

Alison shook her head. "Destro, I don't want you in my life any more than you want me in yours. If by signing this, that accomplishes that, then it is a win-win for us."

Destro handed her a pen and she signed the document. She handed it back to Destro who looked it over and then nodded. "Thank you. I wish you and Flint well in the upcoming birth of your child. Even though we had vastly different ideologies, I still consider you and him worthy adversaries.

"My driver will take you home. I'm sure the Joes are waiting for you, and if you feel it is necessary, both men are prepared to be questioned once you are returned. However, they do not know my current whereabouts and are not part of my inner circle. Plus, I assure you once again that I will no longer be a thorn in the Joes side."

Alison was surprised to realize that she actually believed him.


	13. Chapter 13

A/N: I hope everyone had a good Fourth of July! Thanks for you patience with this story the last few weeks. June was a busy month for me, and I've had a hard time getting these last few scenes to come together. But I hope to have more frequent updates from now on.

Alison walked into the bathroom, and closed the door behind her. She didn't need to use the facility, but she wanted to escape the activity in her living room. She shook her head at the irony. Earlier in the day, she was bemoaning the fact that she was all alone, and now she couldn't wait for everyone to leave.

Hawk and a trio of MPs had met her when the limo had returned to her home. After confirming that she was unharmed, Hawk took the two men into custody for questioning. Explaining that he wanted to avoid bringing in the local authorities, Hawk asked Alison if they could use her house as the interrogation room. Alison had assumed that what Hawk actually wanted was to avoid involving the Jugglers, but he couldn't say that in front of the MPs. She agreed to the request and led everyone inside.

Hawk had ordered his men to stand guard, while he spoke to Alison in the bedroom. She spent the next hour talking about the encounter with Hawk. He took notes and asked many questions, so at the end of the conversation, Alison was confident that she had conveyed every last detail.

Once they were done, Hawk told her to stay in the bedroom while he spoke to Destro's men, but she refused. She knew they weren't going to hurt her and she wanted to be there witness the interrogation. Within minutes it became clear that what Destro said about them had been the truth. They both were eager to talk, so they explained how they were former members of the Iron Grenadiers.

Hawk looked towards Alison, who shook her head no to indicate she hadn't heard of that term before. "What are the Iron Grenadiers?" he asked.

"Laird McClellan's personal army," the 'bad cop' replied proudly.

"But we had nothing to do with Cobra or any of their activities," the second man added quickly. "We provided mostly transportation services and protection detail. And honestly, we weren't very high up in the organization."

Alison couldn't help rolling her eyes. She could see that Bad Cop was annoyed with his partner so he continued. "It was the Laird's way of protecting his own interests since he didn't trust any of the other members of Cobra. Once Cobra disbanded, he also disbanded the Iron Grenadiers. He kept some of the guys around to continue to offer protection."

"But we didn't make the cut," Good Cop added.

"So how is it that you ended up being picked for this outing?" Alison asked.

Bad Cop shrugged. "We've received a call or two from his assistant to do an odd job here and there."

"Once again, nothing illegal." Good Cop was openly sweating as he kept staring at the MPs.

"I'm pretty sure kidnapping is illegal," Hawk pointed out.

"We didn't kidnap nobody!" Good Cop yelled out. "We made it quite clear to her that we were only escorting her to the meeting. She voluntarily got in our car."

Hawk looked at Alison who nodded. "He's right that I wasn't forced. But since I wasn't given a choice, I wouldn't exactly call it voluntary either."

Hawk and Alison continued to quiz the two men about Destro's whereabouts and dealings, but they learned nothing new. Both men claimed that since leaving the Iron Grenadiers they hadn't had direct contact with Destro until that afternoon. Once again, a nameless assistant had worked out the details of their assignment. All they had been told was Alison's home address, and the location of the small airfield they had taken her to.

After the third round of repeat questions, Hawk asked to speak to Alison alone in her bedroom again. "What do you think?" he asked after she closed the door behind him.

"I know that it's likely they are very good liars, or were coached on what to say, but I believe them. Just like I believed Destro's assertion that he's cut all ties to Cobra."

"I believe that as well. However, I don't think he's completely come over to the side of good. But I think you're right. Those two yahoos in there are not going to help us find him." Hawk remained quiet as he paced in front of the bed. Alison had seen the move enough time to know he was deep in thought contemplating his next move.

When he stopped, Hawk turned to her. "Unless you have any more questions, I'm going to turn those two over to the local authorities. They're no use to us, but I want to make sure they have the boy scout records they've been claiming they have. Then I'm going to check with the airstrip. I'm sure Destro covered his tracks, but I want to be thorough. I'm also going to assign the MPs to keep watch over you for at least the next forty-eight hours."

Alison initially balked at the idea, but she quickly determined that she liked the added protection. As Hawk made his phone calls, she excused herself to use the bathroom. She looked into the mirror and splashed water on to her face. She still had the feeling that what she had experienced that afternoon hadn't been real, which would explain her current calm mindset. She thought back to the time a couple of years in the past when she had first encountered Castle Destro, and the idea of a shared ancestry with the arms dealer.

She had been horrified at the thought. But then she had spent a few days researching her past, and as she had told Destro, had found no direct link. To find out that she had been wrong, should have once again upset her, but she seemed to be taking the revelation in stride. Maybe because her biggest fear at the time was having a link to Cobra would have threatened her spot on the Joe team. That was obviously no longer a concern. Or maybe it was because she now had a secure present and future, that she no longer worried about the sins of the past.

A few minutes later the doorbell rang, indicating the arrival of the local police. She reentered the living room, made her statement, and within a few minutes they left with the Iron Grenadiers.

After making sure a final time that she was okay, Hawk left shortly thereafter with the MPs. Alison watched from the window as two of the MPs took up positions in front of the house. She then took a heavy seat on the couch. As she once again replied the day in her head, she realized that she had never heard from Flint. That struck her as extremely unusual, so she rose to grab her phone. However he beat her to it, as it rang moments later.

"Thank God," Flint said after she answered. "Are you all right?"

"I'm fine," Alison answered. Even though she could hear the worry and relief in his voice, she decided to tease him for the late call. "I was starting to think you didn't care."

"I'm sorry about that. I couldn't call you while I was flying."

"Flying?" Alison asked dumbly. "Where did you go?"

"Andrews."

"You flew here?"

"Once I figured out that Destro had you, and we lost track of your signal, I couldn't just sit at HQ."

"I'm surprised Anvil let you go."

"I didn't exactly ask permission."

Alison smiled. That was a typical Flint reaction, and she loved him for it. "Do you need me to pick you up?"

"No, I don't want you going anywhere. I'm calling a cab, so I should be there shortly. In the meantime you can tell me what the hell happened this afternoon."

Even though Alison had told the story a number of times already, she didn't mind recounting the ordeal for Flint. Once she was done she said, "So I hope you don't mind that I signed away our daughter's inheritance."

"Not at all. I agree with you that nothing good can come from having Destro in our lives." Flint paused. "I'm pulling up in front of the house now."

"Okay. You're probably going to need to check in with my new security detail."

He hung up the phone. Alison heard a car door slam shut and she met Flint at the front door. She grinned when she saw him and threw herself into his arms. Once he engulfed her in a hug she relaxed against him and gave into the emotions she had been holding back. Flint held her tightly until she regained composure.

Alison pulled back and wiped at her tears. "I'm sorry. I hate to admit it, but when Destro's men approached me I was pretty scared, and didn't know what to do. Even though they said they weren't going to hurt me, I didn't totally believe them until I was dropped back off here."

"It scared me too. I had so many different nightmare scenarios run through my head." Flint shook his head. "But it's over. The two of you are okay, and I'm here now."

"For how long?"

Flint grimaced. "To be honest, I don't know. I've been avoiding checking in with HQ."

Alison smiled and grabbed his hand. "How about you avoid that a little longer, while we spend some time catching up?"

* * *

An hour later the two lay together in their bed. Their conversation topics dwindled, so Flint thought it was time to bite the bullet and check in with HQ. However, he took the cowardly way and instead of calling Anvil, he called Duke.

"Flint, nice of you to check in. How's Alison?"

Flint gave her a squeeze. "She's doing okay. It was quite the scare, though."

"I'm sure it was." Duke paused. Flint mentally prepared himself for the command to come back to HQ that he knew was coming. But then Duke surprised him. "You ran out of here so fast, you never signed your twenty-four hour leave pass."

"My what?" Flint asked dumbly.

Duke laughed. "I guess you were expecting more of a reprimand?"

"To be honest, I was."

"Well, you're lucky that the general was in a good mood and apparently has a soft spot for men and their idiotic behavior when their wives are in trouble."

Flint looked at Alison. While he didn't regret his decision, he still felt the need to defend it. "What did you expect me to do? I couldn't," he began but Duke cut him off.

"Save the explanation. I'm used to your questionable rash decisions. Although in this case, I admit I would have done the same thing."

"Thanks, Duke."

"Don't thank me. Thank Anvil at OC bright and early Monday morning."

"I will be there."

Once he hung up, Alison grinned at him. "I'm going to guess you don't have to go back right now?"

Flint kissed the top of her head. "Nope. I can stay until tomorrow night."

"Wow. I guess you have restored your glory boy status?"

Alison's voice betrayed the hurt and betrayal she apparently still felt. Flint wrapped his arm around her. "No, Falcon has taken over that title. Anvil has been pretty fair and generous with granting leave, especially when family is involved. He gave Dusty a couple of weeks off to be with his mother during her latest health crisis, and Leatherneck has taken some time too, since his wife is pregnant again."

"Is that number three for them?"

"Three and four. Twin girls to join the two he already has. Wetsuit feels so bad for him, that he's actually laid off on his favorite jarhead jokes."

Alison laughed and snuggled closer to him. Flint laid his hand on her protruding stomach. "Can you imagine two in there?"

She shook her head. "No. It seems so crowded already."

They laid together quietly for a few moments, until Alison sat up and climbed out of bed. "I'm sorry, I can't lay like that for too long." As she redressed she asked, "Since Bradshaw is now a kind and benevolent leader, does that mean you'll have a chance to lead the Joe team here during the exercise?"

Flint stood up as well. "He's still working out the details. I don't think I'm going to be leading the main team, but I will be involved in some form or another." His answer was the truth, but the part he was leaving out was that when he went to Anvil to ask to lead the Joe team's main contingent, his request was shot down. Anvil said that because of the blemish on his record due to his affair with Alison, and his current issues with General Cavanaugh, he wasn't the best choice to be the public face of the Joe team. Flint knew those details would upset Alison, so he kept quiet.

"So who will be leading the main team?"

"Falcon. I wasn't kidding about his rise in status. It seems that eliminating one Cobra leader, and then apprehending another that is causing havoc around the country eliminates many of one's past sins."

Alison snorted. "I guess then I should have made more of an effort to take down Destro this afternoon. I would have liked to have been granted a blank slate."

Even though she tried to make the comment as flippant as possible, Flint knew that she meant what she said. He walked over to her and grabbed her hands. "You made the right call today. Trying to go up against Destro while unarmed in your condition, would have only led to disaster."

Alison rubbed at her stomach. "I know that. I really do. But it goes against all of my training of the last few years, so I can't help feeling disappointed in myself. But look at me. I can barely take down Destro's infant son."

Flint pulled her close. "It's only for a few more weeks. And speaking of the birth, I talked to both Duke and General Bradshaw, and both are on board with my plan. Regardless of where I end up for this exercise, I have been granted leave for the birth and the first couple of weeks after. So barring a major war breaking out with Cobra I will be here for you."

Alison settled against him. "I am glad to hear that." She pulled away. "So do you want to see the family tree Destro made for me?"


	14. Chapter 14

Alison struggled to pay attention to the general's briefing. She tried to focus on the 3D image on the table in front of her and not her growing heartburn or the apparent tap dance routine the baby was currently performing in her uterus.

She did though pick up on an error. "I'm sorry to interrupt, general, but we never did get confirmation that the faction is currently stationed in Eastern Turkey. So we need to be prepared that they may still be in Syria."

The briefing wrapped up a few minutes later, and Hawk asked Alison to join him on their walk back to their office. "Thanks for the catch in there."

"No problem. I only interrupted because we received the updated bulletins right before you went into the meeting." She felt another burning sensation and grimaced as she swallowed against the pain.

Hawk eyed her. "Are you doing okay?"

"Yeah, I'm all right. Just dealing with another side effect of pregnancy."

"What's your game plan going forward? You must be thinking about starting your maternity leave soon."

"Actually, I was going to wait as long as I could to take it. So far my doctor is on board. The commute isn't that bad, and this job isn't physically taxing, so I'd like to hang in here as long as I can."

"I appreciate your dedication, but don't feel like you're obligated to do so."

"Thanks. And I do know that. But really, it's for my own sanity. If I had nothing to do but sit at home and wait for contractions to start, I would lose my mind. So my plan is to participate in the upcoming exercise, and then reevaluate how I feel at the end."

"Okay. As long as it is what you want. I'll make sure that your schedule is adjusted, so that you don't end up putting in too many long hours here. I don't want you physically exerting yourself."

Alison laughed. "Now you're sounding like Flint. He gives me the third degree every chance he can. Apparently he doesn't believe I know what's best for me."

"He's just a nervous new father to be. I'm sure I did the same thing to my wife when she was pregnant."

Alison was so surprised by Hawk's admission that she actually stopped walking for a moment. She quickly recovered. "You're married, sir?"

"Unfortunately not anymore. We were the clichéd high school sweet hearts that married the summer after we graduated. Back then it wasn't quite the scandal to marry so young. She became pregnant a few months later. As the story goes, it was too much too fast, and we were divorced by the time my son started preschool."

"General, I'm sorry to hear that."

"Don't be. It was a long time ago, and I ended up with a son I am very proud of. He's getting a Masters in Mechanical Engineering at the Colorado School of Mines."

"That's very impressive. But he's not going to pursue a military career like his father?"

Hawk shook his head. "No. And I have to admit I was a little disappointed. We all know it's not an easy life, but it is very rewarding. But I think the fact that I wasn't around a lot while he was growing up swayed his decision."

Alison nodded sadly. She subconsciously rubbed her stomach. She too had wondered how much of their daughter's life Flint was going to miss, and if she would grow up resenting him for it.

Hawk sensed her thoughts. "Not every military family ends up like mine did. Yes, having a parent away so often is hard on the kids. But as long as you make the most of the time together that you do have, they'll be okay. And I can tell already by how devoted Flint is to you and your baby, that he will do right by the two of you."

Alison smiled. "Thank you, sir, I appreciate that."

"Passing on wisdom to the younger generation is in my job description. And how many times do I have to tell you that you can stop calling me sir?" he added with a smile.

"I'm sorry, sir," she said with a laugh as the word slipped out again. "It's just ingrained in me."

Hawk too laughed. "Well, I still appreciate the respect." He took a quick glance down the hallway behind her before he turned his attention back to her. "Since I am doling out the advice this morning, cut Flint some slack. He just wants what is best for you."

"I know, I know," Alison replied. "I do appreciate it, it's just that sometimes it gets to be a bit smothering."

"Talking bad about me again?" a familiar voice behind her asked with a laugh.

Alison let out a gasp and spun around. Her face broke into a grin at the site of a smiling Flint standing just feet from her. "What are you doing here?"

"Did I forget to mention that for the exercise Flint will be leading the Joe contingent stationed on the Flagg?" Hawk said. He tapped her on the shoulder. "You don't have to be all prim and proper in front of me. I know you want to give your husband a hug."

She did.

* * *

Zarana looked on with exasperation to the scene playing out in front of her. The Dreadnoks had reached the point of the evening where their philosophical debate was going to turn physical.

"How many times do I have to explain to you idiots that death is not an option?" Buzzer asked.

"I'm not killing myself, I'm killing both of them," Torch replied.

Buzzer smacked his head. "Murder is still death, you moron."

The newest Dreadnok, Road Pig, chimed in. "I've done extensive research into this social experiment, and I'm dismayed to admit that I have not found concrete evidence supporting the rules of this game. Therefore, I believe Torch has a valid point."

The three Dreadnoks looked at him for a moment before Ripper spoke. "If you're just going to kill the people we picked for you, what's the point of playing?"

Zarana stood up. She walked away from the fire, and deeper into the woods where Zandar was sitting against a tree. She took a seat next to him. "I hate to admit this, but I think I miss Thrasher and Monkeywrench. With them around, the only thing those idiots fought about were their favorite mint flavor."

"It's okay, sister. You only have to put up with us until we find Zartan. Then you can go back to your new glamorous life."

"It may be new, but it's far from glamorous," Zarana mumbled. Ever since she had returned to the Dreadnoks to help find and rescue Zartan, Zandar had made it quite clear his feelings about her desertion. She had ignored most of his comments, but since she was in a particularly foul mood, she decided to finally call him on it. "If I'm remembering the chain of events correctly, you're the one that called me to come help you free our big brother."

"And some help you've been," Zandar replied.

"If it wasn't for me, you'd still be in Arizona with your thumb up your…" Before she could finish the thought, they were interrupted.

"Zarana, my sweet, I couldn't help but notice your absence," Road Pig said, as he took a knee next to her. "I hope it wasn't our skirmish that ran you off."

Zarana looked from Road Pig to Zandar and decided she had enough. She turned towards Zandar. "It's your turn to babysit tonight. I'm getting out of here."

Road Pig chased after her, but she had speed and agility on her side. Zarana hopped onto her motorcycle and quickly lost the hulking Dreadnok. She sped onto the two-lane highway heading towards town. She didn't necessarily have a destination in mind, she just needed to blow off some steam. The more time she spent with the Dreadnoks, the more she was reminded of all the reasons why she had left the team shortly after the Cobra-La fiasco. She knew she had promised Zandar that she was going to stick around until they freed Zartan, and despite her brother's attitude and the fact that the half-wits were making it very hard for her, she had every intention of keeping to that promise.

Most of her frustration didn't actually stem from the Dreadnoks behavior, but from the idea that Zartan was being held prisoner in a base only a couple of miles from their current location, and they didn't have a coherent plan to free him.

When Zandar had first called her, the Dreadnoks had been on their way to break Zartan out of Joe HQ. Despite the fact that she had left the Dreadnoks to pursue her own passions, she didn't hesitate to lend her help. She had been halfway to Arizona when they had gotten word that Zartan was being transferred. Their initial intel said that he was going to be brought to ADMax Florence, a supposed inescapable fortress in the middle of Colorado. Zarana and Zandar looked forward to the challenge, and they agreed to meet up outside Florence.

Once the twins were reunited, they began to research the facility. Zarana used her charms on a couple of the correction officers employed by the prison, and soon they had a plan to break Zartan out. But then they learned that Zartan never arrived at Florence, and instead was sent to Fort Meade in Maryland. So once again they had to relocate.

They had arrived at the campground down the road from the base a week prior. Since that point they tried to come up with a new plan of attack. At first Zarana thought it was going to be easy. If they could come up with a plan to infiltrate an impenetrable prison, breaking onto a military base should be easier, especially since they had a lot of expertise in breaching the Joes' defenses.

But apparently the US government had learned from their mistakes. The prison where Zartan was being held didn't officially exist. It was built over the past couple of years with the specific goal of keeping high profile, extremely dangerous prisoners within its walls. The construction had been such a closely guarded secret that it took Zarana five days to find a contractor that had a decent amount of knowledge about the project. It had then taken her another two days to work her magic and get her hands on a copy of the blueprints.

She had brought the blueprints back to their camp late that afternoon and they then spent a few hours trying to come up with a plan. Unfortunately, while they had made some progress, there were still too many question marks for Zarana's liking. Their biggest roadblock at the moment was figuring out a distraction that would get them into the prison section. Its defenses were high tech marvels and it looked like only a massive and crippling power outage would get them close to Zartan.

But the Dreadnoks had done their best to come up with alternate ideas. They were all ridiculous, and Zarana humored them only for a few minutes before she called an end to the discussion. The Dreadnoks had then taken up the asinine game she briefly listened to before she had made her escape.

Zarana made a right turn and realized she was heading towards one of the local bars that she had spent a significant amount of time at the past week. She also noticed a single headlight that was well behind her, and she went on alert. She instantly suspected she might have been followed, but since she had been lost in her thoughts she had no idea how long the person had been behind her.

She pulled into the parking lot of Spanky's and sat on her bike. She pretended to be engrossed in her phone as she waited. Sure enough, a bike pulled into the lot a few moments behind her. Zarana continued to watch as a woman got off the bike. However, she paid Zarana no attention and instead called out to one her biker friends that was hanging with a group at the other end of the parking lot.

Zarana relaxed. She put her phone away and entered Spanky's. She saw her contractor buddy sitting at the bar, and with a large smile she walked towards him. At best case, she might be able to pick his brain some more, and at worst, she would end up with a couple of free drinks.

After a half hour, it was clear that the latter was going to be true. With the excuse that his wife was waiting for him, he called it an early night, but he left enough money on the counter for Zarana to order another drink.

Before her drink arrived, the woman on the bike from the parking lot grabbed the empty seat next to Zarana. With a look of distaste the woman asked "Doesn't it get old constantly using your feminine assets, especially when said assets are, well, old?"

Zarana had to rein in her anger. While she had an extremely short temper, and the littlest thing could set her off, she also was not stupid. As much as she wanted to smack the nosy bitch in her smart mouth, she knew better than starting a bar brawl when she had no backup. Instead she shrugged. "As long as it keeps working, I'm going to keep doing it."

The woman scoffed. "Based on what I saw tonight, it might be time for you to consider a new approach. Especially if you want to free your brother and friends."

Zarana startled. "Have you been spying on me? Who the hell are you?"

"My name is Dela. And yes, my associates have taken an interest in your organization, so they sent me to observe your actions."

Zarana wanted to laugh at the idea of the Dreadnoks being an organization. But instead she had another question. "And who exactly are your associates?"

"Our name isn't important, because you haven't heard of us, yet."

Zarana noticed the heavy foreboding Dela put on the last word. She was reminded of meeting Pythona and Cobra-La for the first time. "I don't know what you want from us, but I can tell you right now we are not interested."

"We don't want anything from you. I know in order to help your brother, you need a major disturbance to occur. We can do that for you."

Zarana was skeptical. "Sure, okay. You're going to help us get to Zartan, and you really want nothing in return?"

"You need a distraction, and so do we. It ends up being a mutually beneficial arrangement."

"What are you going to do?"

Dela smiled. "I'm sorry, but as they say that is need-to-know information, and you don't need to know."

"If we don't know what we are getting ourselves into than you can count us out."

"That must be a new policy, since I doubt that Cobra Commander and Serpentor shared all of their grand plans with you before you did their dirty work." Dela stood up. "It's up to you whether you take advantage of the situation we set up or not. The opportunity you desperately need will happen on the fifteenth."

Zarana watched Dela walk out of the bar. She downed the last of her drink while she replayed the conversation in her head. Then with a smile, she decided it was time to head back to camp and tell her brother the good news.

* * *

Alison checked her watch as she made her way to the Pentagon's parking garage. She was once again running late for her appointment, so she picked up the pace as best as she could until she heard her name being called. She turned and smiled at Flint who jogged to catch up to her. "I thought you left for the Flagg already."

"I was supposed to, but the helo has some mechanical issues. So while I'm waiting for it to be repaired, I thought that I would go with you to your appointment."

"Are you sure you can? Sometimes they get backed up. It might be a couple hours."

"That's okay, it'll take at least that long to make the repairs. I could stay here and scream at the mechanic that drew the short stick, but I'd much rather see how baby girl is doing."

Alison was grateful for the ride and the company. The last couple of days had been hectic so it was nice to be able to have a relaxed conversation with her husband. The OB office was not that crowded and they were led to an exam room after a few minutes. The nurse ran through her standard checks, and then told her the doctor would be in shortly.

Alison became antsy as she waited for the doctor to arrive. Her due date was more than two weeks away, but she hoped that the doctor would say she had made progress towards giving birth soon.

However, once the doctor arrived and completed her exam, that didn't seem like it was the case. "Even with the Braxton Hicks contractions you've been experiencing, you're about the same as last week. Maybe slightly more dilated, but nothing significant." After Alison exhaled sharply, the doctor continued. "Don't get too frustrated. It's not going to be too much longer. And anything could happen. I once had a woman who had showed no signs that labor was imminent during her exam and then her water broke on the beltway while on her way home."

Flint let out a nervous laugh. "I, for one, hope that doesn't happen."

The doctor smiled. "I'm just saying you have to be prepared for anything. Including the possibility of going past the end of the month. I know your previous doctor adjusted your due date, but I wouldn't be surprised if you end up delivering closer to the original date."

That was a depressing thought. It was hard enough thinking she still had a couple of weeks to go, never mind a month. The doctor ran through a list of signs and symptoms that she should be on the lookout for, and gave her a brief to-do list of what she needed to do once she started to feel contractions. Alison made an appointment for the following week, and then they left.

Alison was quiet on the way back as her thoughts contemplated the idea of childbirth, and the arrival of her daughter. "Are you okay?" Flint asked as he rubbed her leg.

"I just wished she had better news," Alison admitted.

"I think it went great. She said the heartbeat is strong, the baby is a good size, and you looked well."

Alison felt a little guilty for not being more upbeat. But as she shifted in her seat to relieve the growing pressure on her lower back, she decided she earned a little slack for wanting to evict the baby as soon as possible. "I know. And I am so thankful that everything looks good. I just wish I knew she was coming sooner rather than later. We got lucky with you being assigned to this exercise, and I'd love to take advantage of that."

"Believe me, I would too. And I have given it some thought. Between the exercise and the aftermath, I will be able to stay in town for at least two weeks without needing to use any leave."

"Which will be fine if she decides she is going to arrive before her current due date. If she's not coming until mid-May, then we'll need to figure out a new plan."

"Which we will. But don't worry about that unless we have to. Like Dr. Lewis said anything can happen." Traffic had come to a standstill so Flint turned to look at her. "Does the idea of the birth scare you?"

Alison chuckled. "Why? Because everyone who has been through it describes it as the most excruciating pain one can experience? I may be a little concerned. But that's not what I'm most scared about. Maybe I'm underestimating my pain tolerance, but I think I can handle the birth process. It's what comes afterwards that has me up at night."

"That you shouldn't be worried about. You're going to be a great mother."

"I wish I had that kind of faith in myself. I know it's a lot of on the job training, but I still worry that I won't know what I'm doing. What if I can't console her when she cries? Or I don't recognize her symptoms when she's getting sick?" Alison paused as she debated how much to confess. But Flint started the line of questioning, so he was going to get the brutally honest truth. "And it doesn't help knowing that I'm going to be on my own for a lot of this."

Flint frowned, and Alison regretted coming clean. "I'm going to do my best to be here as often as I can. In the meantime, Stalker said Lydia is very excited to pitch in with babysitting duties."

"She is," Alison agreed. "I know she's going to be a big help to me, but she has her own family to take care of."

They finally arrived at the Pentagon's garage. Once they parked and exited the car, Flint went to her side. "I'm still optimistic that this long-distance separation is only temporary. I bet by the time Marissa is six months old, I'll be living here full time."

Alison didn't share the same optimism. And even if she did, six months seemed like an excruciatingly long time away. But instead of continuing to dwell on the negatives she focused on the part of Flint's statement that caught her attention. "So are we officially going with the name Marissa?"

"Before I make my final decision, I do want to see her to make sure she looks like a 'Marissa'. But the more I think about it, the more I like it."

Alison wondered how a newborn could look like any name. From all the photos she had seen of hours old babies, she had decided she was going to be happy if her baby didn't look totally like an alien.

Flint's phone rang and based on the short conversation, she guessed he was going to be leaving for the Flagg shortly. He confirmed her hunch. "Perfect timing. We're good to go."

She hugged him. "Okay, be careful. And make sure the chopper is actually airworthy before you get on."

"Will do," Flint answered. "I'll see you in a few days."


	15. Chapter 15

On the morning of April fifteenth, Alison reflected on how surreal the drive to work was. It was the second full day of the exercise, and before leaving her house, she had read through the latest update sent to her that summarized the overnight happenings. The imaginary war had escalated causing the authorities to lock down the fictional version of DC. She had formed an image in her mind in what that would be like, and tried to keep it going during her commute. However that was hard to do on that beautiful mid-April day, as she passed joggers and walkers, and listened to the inane banter on the radio.

Which was the negative of her continuing to work her standard day, while the Joes and the rest of the Pentagon threw themselves fully into the exercise. She was allowed to commute back and forth while the rest of the team stayed on site and worked shifts to keep up the realism. At first she felt guilty for being granted basically a free pass, but she actually needed the easier work schedule this far into her pregnancy. She was exhausted by the end of her day, and she was having a hard enough time sleeping in her own bed, that she couldn't imagine trying to sleep on a cot.

That idea was emphasized as she got out of her car, and had to pause against a pain that started in her lower back. She had spent too much time on her feet the last couple of days. Alison entered her office and walked into a flurry of activity. She went to her desk and skimmed through the documents. She briefly dwelled on the news that due to an all-out charge from the enemy, Flint was going to be leading a team of Joes off the Flagg and to the Pentagon to help defend the building. But then she moved on to her part in the play. She grabbed a headset and checked in with Falcon's team that was stationed outside the White House.

Alison was so involved in her work that she was only dimly aware of the semi-regular cramps that had been hitting her body. It was only when she decided to take a break to get a bottle of water that she clued into the signals her body was sending her. Unfortunately, it was also the same time that the lights went out in the building.

"Is this part of the exercise?" Alison asked.

"Who the hell knows?" Beachhead replied. "I wouldn't be surprised based on all the crap they've thrown at us the last couple days."

Alison stood in place and tried to stretch as she waited for the back-up lights to kick in. They did, briefly. Once it was clear that they were going to stay in the dark, a couple of the guys pulled out flashlights to give a small amount of lighting to the room.

"Okay, until we hear differently, we're going to assume this is also part of the exercise," Hawk announced to the room. "First, I want as much lighting in here as possible so we can see what the hell we are doing. Secondly, I want a status update on our current capabilities as far as communications go. And finally I want an inventory of our emergency supplies. Once I have all that information we can figure out where to go from here."

Alison was closest to the supply closet, so she decided she would tackle the inventory. The last thing she needed to do was to waddle around in the near dark bumping into things. Counting the supplies also kept her from focusing too much on the twinges she was feeling. However, as she wrapped up her count, she was hit with a pain strong enough that she had to take a couple of deep breaths. Remembering what her doctor had advised, she glanced at her watch. She told herself she wasn't going to panic unless it was clear the contractions were coming at regular intervals.

She made her way over to Hawk who was getting an update from Mainframe. "I'm sorry, sir, but this power outage seems to be pretty widespread. At the moment we're deaf, dumb and blind. The only way we're going to be communicating with others is if we stand in the hallway and shout."

Hawk took the list from Alison's hand. "I may have a slightly more sophisticated version of that option. What is the range on the walkie talkies?"

"Miles," Mainframe answered. "They'll easily cover all of the Pentagon and a pretty good distance outside, if you're thinking about sending a team out to see what's going on."

"Right now I just want to know what's going on in here. Plus, one of the last actions was to lockdown the Pentagon, so going outside may not be an option for a while."

"We're trapped in here?" Alison asked, trying to keep her growing panic in check.

"Don't get excited, yet," Hawk answered. "Let's do some recon first."

Alison knew he was right, however when she felt another cramp and glanced at her watch she saw that almost six minutes had passed since the last pain. She remembered the doctor's instructions, which was to go to the hospital once her contractions were consistently five minutes apart and lasting for at least a minute. Luckily what she was experiencing wasn't nearly that strong, but she was concerned about how quickly they were coming.

"I'm going to assume that you don't want to be part of the group that goes exploring?" Hawk asked.

"Yes, sir, I'd rather not."

"That's fine. I need someone here anyway to try to make contact with the outside world. Our landlines are down, and for the moment it looks like the cell network is overloaded."

Hawk called over Stalker and Beachhead and told them to form teams to explore the Pentagon. Mainframe joined in the discussion with tips on how to construct a simplified communications network using the walkie talkies. While they were strategizing, Alison was hit with another pain. She took a deep breath and again tried to breathe through the contraction. She noticed that Beachhead was watching her, but luckily he didn't question her actions.

Once the contraction was over, which was thankfully still only about thirty seconds long, Alison was able to turn her attention back to Hawk. He informed them that Flint's team had made it on site which was another piece of good news. If she was going into labor, at least he would be at her side.

* * *

Flint was extremely proud of his team. So far they had pulled off the mission flawlessly. He just hoped some of the bigwigs took notice. What he was doing was really just a small part of the large exercise, but the Joes could use whatever positive feedback they could gather.

The trip from the Flagg to the Pentagon went off without a hitch, and the team cleared every obstacle that had been thrown their way. They easily entered the Pentagon moments before Flint heard the order to lock the place down. Once they were through, he had them stop for a moment to take a breather. "Good job, guys. Next stop is Hawk's office where we'll find out what our new orders are."

Flint took a sip from his canteen, and was going to get the team moving again when the lights went out.

"Someone forget to pay their electrical bill?" Leatherneck asked.

"I'm sure this is just another curve ball they're throwing us," Flint replied. "Night vision goggles on. Let's show the brass that the Joes aren't afraid to play in the dark."

They only made it halfway down the corridor before Flint's communicator beeped. He brought the team to a halt again to take the call.

"Flint, Flagg Actual," Admiral Ledger said amidst a high level of static. "Have you reached your destination?"

"That's an affirmative, sir. But I'm having a hard time hearing you."

"I'm not surprised. We're having communication issues with the mainland since the power outage."

Flint didn't like the sound of that. "So it extends beyond our current location?"

"Yes, it does. We're still trying to get confirmation on just how far reaching this is, but it seems to be at least DC, and possibly extending into Virginia and Maryland."

"So I'm going to assume this is not part of the exercise."

"It looks like you are correct. But right now I want you to continue on like it is. Meet up with Hawk and try to get back in touch with me. As I said, we're having a hard time getting anyone on the horn over there."

"I read you. We should be there within ten minutes."

Flint got his team moving again. He knew he should be more concerned with the consequences of having an extensive power outage on the public, but he was more annoyed that the event was probably going to overshadow any of the work he and his team had done.

They entered the D Ring and practically ran into Beachhead. "Oh, good. This completes my to-do list. Hawk's waiting for you," Beachhead informed him.

Flint entered the room, locked eyes with and smiled at Alison, and then turned his attention to Hawk. The general shook his hand and congratulated him on a job well done. "Thank you, sir," Flint replied. "But it looks like we have a bit of a problem on our hands." Flint then summarized the admiral's call. "This may be the only way to get a call outside this building," Flint added as he handed his communicator to Hawk.

While Hawk attempted to contact the Flagg, Beachhead turned towards Flint. "So we're stuck in here?"

"At least for the time being. What's the matter, Sneeden, are you claustrophobic?"

Beachhead scoffed. "I don't have an issue with it. But obviously you haven't noticed that your wife may be in labor."

Flint's head whipped around to look at Alison again. It was hard to see in the dim lighting, but she did seem to be gritting her teeth in pain. He hurried to her side. "Are you okay?"

"I think I'm having contractions," she admitted. "But I've been timing them and they don't seem like they're getting much worse. Right now I have other needs I need to take care of. Can you walk with me to the bathroom?"

Flint looked at Hawk, who was still in the process of trying to contact the Flagg. "We'll be right back," he said to Beachhead as they left the room.

Once out in the hallway, Alison stopped him. "I didn't want to make a big deal in there, but are we really locked in here?"

"I didn't personally check all the doors, but from what I heard, yes."

"Damn," Alison said as she rubbed at her belly.

"Tell me the truth, what's going on with you?"

"I came to work and I noticed that I was having contractions. I thought they were just Braxton Hicks, but once the lights went out, I realized I had been having them pretty regularly all morning. They're about five and a half minutes apart, maybe thirty to forty-five seconds long. So we're not quite at the point that I would be calling the doctor, but if this outage goes on much longer I think we're going to get there."

"Okay. Right now we just need to stay calm. Even if you are in labor, it sounds like it's still early on and we probably have hours before we need to worry."

"I know. And that's what I keep telling myself. But, Dash, I really don't want to have her here."

"Don't worry. You won't. Even if I have to break down a door, or dig a new tunnel, I will make sure I get you to a hospital."

She put on a heroic smile and then entered the bathroom. Once she was behind the closed door, Flint exhaled sharply and dropped the brave persona. The truth was that her announcement had rattled him. However, he was trying to stay calm for her sake. She looked so terrified that he couldn't make her feel worse.

But if she was actually in the midst of labor, he didn't know what the hell he was going to do. Their first problem was going to be getting out of the Pentagon. He wasn't sure what being locked down entailed. He hoped that it was only a matter of convincing a higher-up to go against procedure as opposed to literally being locked in the building. Although performing the former still wasn't going to be easy.

And then once he did get them out of there, he knew it was going to be quite the ordeal traveling to the hospital. DC traffic was a nightmare on a good day, and he could only imagine what the streets would be like while the city was gripped in the claws of a wide spread power outage. And this was all assuming that he would even be free to go since they were in the midst of the exercise.

He continued to contemplate various escape scenarios until he realized that Alison had been in the bathroom for an unusually long time. He knocked on the door and then cautiously entered. "Alison? Babe, are you okay?"

Her voice came from behind the only closed stall. "Dash, this is really happening," she replied in a shaky voice. "My water broke."

His nerves were kicked up a notch. He was glad that a closed door separated the two of them. He then fell back on his military training to get through a stressful situation. "Okay," he said calmly. "I'm going to tell Hawk. But in the meantime do you need anything?"

She didn't answer at first. Flint called out her name, but as he heard her breathing sharply, he realized she was having another contraction. He tried not to think about the kind of pain she was in. A few more seconds passed and then she finally spoke. "I have a bag under my desk. Can you bring it to me?"

Flint went back to the Joes office. Everyone in the room seemed to be sidetracked, which he was happy about. He hoped to get back to Alison without anyone noticing. However, as he reached for the bag under her desk and stood back up, he came face to face with Beachhead. "How is she?"

"You were right. She's gone into labor." Flint braced himself for an outburst from Beachhead, which he did not have the patience for. But the drill sergeant surprised him.

"Do you want me to tell Hawk?"

"No. It's better if it comes from me. Alison needs her bag, and then I want to see if she can make it back in here. If not, I may need someone to keep an eye on her while I talk to Hawk and figure out a plan to get her to the hospital."


	16. Chapter 16

Alison breathed through the latest contraction. The good news was that they weren't getting any closer together. The bad news was that ever since her water broke, the pain level had risen considerably.

As the contraction eased, Alison looked over to where Flint was in an animated conversation with Hawk and Beachhead. While Flint appeared to be relatively calm, Alison knew her husband well enough to know that he was extremely stressed. She didn't blame him. Knowing that their daughter was on her way while they were a captive audience in the Pentagon was distressing. But since he was still only a spectator, and she the active participant, she didn't have the energy to feel that bad for him.

The conversation ended, and with a nod Flint walked her way. He plastered such a large and fake smile on his face, that she nearly burst out laughing. He reached her side and asked, "How are you doing?"

"I'm hanging in there," she replied.

"Can I get you anything? Water? Juice? Something to eat?"

She glared at him. "If you had bothered to attend any of the childbirth classes, you would know that I'm not supposed to have anything other than ice chips until I get to the hospital."

Flint looked horrified. "Okay. I'm sure I can find you a cup of ice."

Alison reached out and grabbed his arm. She felt the initial twinges of a rising contraction. She looked at her watch to confirm that they were holding steady. "No, wait," she said through gritted teeth as she bore down against the pain.

Once it was over, Alison noticed that Hawk had joined them. "Sir, please tell me you have good news."

"In a way, yes," Hawk answered. "Getting out of here is not going to be a problem. Technically, we are in lockdown, but there are ways to exit the building in an emergency, which this obviously is."

Flint relaxed considerably. "Great. Let's get out of here."

Hawk raised his hand. "I wouldn't rush to do that just yet. With the walkie-talkies we were able to speak to a few people on the outside, and it's pretty chaotic. We hear the streets are basically impassable at the moment. Your best plan of attack is to just sit tight for a while longer and see if the power comes back."

"We can't just sit here. She needs to get to a hospital," Flint said.

Alison weighed the various options in her head. She wasn't thrilled about the idea of staying where she was, but she liked the idea of being stuck in the car in traffic even less. She squeezed Flint's hand. "Hawk is right. My contractions aren't getting any closer, so I still have time."

"I put out an all-hands call for any medics in-house that have birthing experience to come here. Two responded and are on their way. Stalker's in the process of setting up a cot in the neighboring office to give you some privacy and a semi-comfortable place to lay down."

Alison thanked Hawk and then she gingerly rose to her feet. She walked next door and was met by one of the medics that Hawk called. The medic, who appeared to be no older than a recent college graduate, looked nervously between Flint and Alison. "I have to be honest with you two, the only experience I have with this is that one time during my residency I was called into the ER during a premature delivery. The baby was fine," he added hastily.

He checked out Alison's vitals and announced that other than a slightly elevated blood pressure which was normal due to the pain she was experiencing, she seemed fine. Then he blushed. "I can give you a further examination if you want."

"Do you even know what you're looking for?" Flint asked with exasperation.

"Theoretically, yes."

Alison balked at the idea. Luckily the second medic arrived who had more experience. He introduced himself as Carl Brown, and then asked Alison if she would like for him to perform the internal exam. Flint cleared his throat and made an excuse about wanting to get a bottled water but Alison stopped him. "No you, don't. You're not getting off that easy." She then grabbed his hand as support while the medic examined her.

"It's still very early in your labor. I believe you have a few hours at least."

Flint noticeably relaxed. "Okay, good. That gives us some time."

The medic nodded. "Unfortunately, I can't help you with your pain. The prescriptions I have access to right now may be harmful to the child."

Alison barely heard him as she was in the midst of a contraction. Once the pain eased she said. "It's okay. The contractions aren't that long and are far enough apart that it's manageable."

"Reach out to me if that changes. I've got some bumps and bruises I'm taking care of in the clinic. You can come back there with me, but I think you'll be more comfortable in here." Alison agreed with him so he continued. "I'll check back in with you in an hour. In the meantime, continue to try and contact your doctor. Hopefully the network gets back on line."

Once they were alone, Flint squeezed her hand and asked, "Are you sure you're okay?"

The absurdity of the question made Alison laugh. "Obviously this isn't the beginning of an ideal birth scenario, but I guess it could be worse."

Flint stood up and began to pace. Alison tolerated it for a few minutes, but after her next contraction she told him to leave. "I don't want to leave you alone."

"I'll be fine. Besides, I want to try and nap if possible."

Flint vigorously nodded. "I think that's a good idea. I'll be back in a little while."

Once the door closed behind him, Alison tried to relax. But she couldn't help running through various bad and worse case scenarios of her current predicament. Eventually, she must have dozed off because when she opened her eyes she saw Flint staring at her. She looked at her watch and was surprised to see nearly an hour had passed. "What's going on?"

"We talked to Falcon, who basically abandoned the exercise to lend a hand to the local police. He wasn't the only one, so while the exercise hasn't been officially halted, for all intents and purposes it is on hold. I did though put Beachhead in charge of my team for when it does start up again."

Alison nodded. "Any word on the outage?"

Flint shook his head. "We're still having a hard time getting concrete information. We've heard rumors that it extends as far as the entire east coast."

"Wow," Alison said. The magnitude of the outage gave her a bad feeling. "What do you think caused it?

"That's been the conversation of the last hour. The consensus is either a catastrophic equipment failure or terrorism."

"That's what I'm afraid of," she said as she rose from the cot. Flint went to stop her, but she waved him off. "I have to talk to Hawk and give him a list of potential candidates."

"Now?" Flint asked incredulously.

"Since I'm guessing that I'm going to be sidetracked for the foreseeable future, now's my best chance. Plus, I'm either getting used to the pains, or they've died down somewhat, so I'm okay."

As Flint followed her into the hallway he pointed out the obvious. "The computers are all down."

Alison scoffed. "I don't need a computer," she said as she tapped her head.

She entered her office, which was empty except for Hawk and Mainframe who were deep in conversation over a paper map of the city. As she sat down at her desk and rummaged through the drawers for a pad of paper and a pen, Hawk come over and asked how she was doing.

"Hanging in there. Flint told me you suspect terrorism is behind this, so I wanted to give you a list of the most likely suspects."

"Alison, once again I admire your dedication. But you have more important things to worry about right now. Besides, this might be a moot point if we find out it was all due to faulty equipment."

Alison stared at him a moment. "Do you really believe this is an accident?"

Hawk hesitated before answering. "No. It's too reminiscent of Cobra."

"Exactly. Right now I'm a captive audience in here, so let me do some good with my time." She then, as politely as possible, asked both men to leave her alone.

It took her more than a half hour to compile her list. Most of it she did from memory, but she still wanted to check her hand-written notes, and the dim lighting in the room made them difficult to read. And even though her contractions were not as painful as when they first started, she still had to pause every five minutes to breathe through them.

Satisfied that she was done, she rose from her chair with the intent to bring the information to Hawk. But Flint saw her move, and he was at her side in an instant, insisting she sit back down. Reining in her aggravation with him, she complied.

Once Hawk joined them, she gave him her notes. "I'm sure one or two have slipped through the cracks, but I think this is a good start."

Hawk skimmed through the pages. "I agree. Good job. Now I'm ordering you to go lie down. I'll call the medic back to check you out again."

The medic entered the room shortly after she resumed her position on the cot. Alison was happy to see it was Medic Brown, and not the nervous young kid who first looked her over. He gave Alison a quick check and confirmed that she hadn't progressed. "I'm sure that's frustrating to hear, but at the moment I think that's good news."

"I agree," both Flint and Alison said at the same time.

The rest of the morning passed without incident. Alison started to wonder if her labor was going to progress, when six hours after she had felt the first pain, the intensity and frequency picked up. After an hour she knew it was time to make a decision.

"If you decide to stay here, I have every confidence that I can help you deliver this baby," Medic Brown said. "However, we would be very limited in our ability to handle any complications that can arise. I don't want to scare you, but I do want you to be fully aware of the situation."

Alison looked at Flint, whose stress level had risen dramatically. He took his beret off and ran his fingers through his hair. "I don't want to take the chance of being completely helpless if something should go wrong."

Alison didn't like that idea, but she liked the alternate option even less. "And what if we don't make it to the hospital? I don't exactly like the idea of having her in my car while we're stuck in traffic."

"If it makes you feel better we won't be in your car. The underground is locked down due to the power outage, so we would need to use one of the more accessible vehicles that are outside the building."

Alison quickly clued in to what Flint was hinting at as she thought back to her drive into work. "You mean one of the cargo transports being used for the roadblock?"

"They're also used to transport personnel," Flint said.

"We can set the cot up in the back, so that you are comfortable on the ride to the hospital," Medic Brown added.

Alison hated the idea of being strapped down to the cot in the back of the cargo truck like she was an invalid. But as another more painful contraction hit, she knew she had no choice. "Fine, let's go."

However, before they could leave they were faced with another decision, which hospital to go to. The one she had chosen near their home was on the outskirts of the city, which was too risky to drive to. They walked back into her office to utilize Hawk's map.

While Alison sat at her desk, Flint, Hawk, Beachhead, and Stalker launched into a planning strategy like they were plotting a major offensive. Medic Brown listed the nearby hospitals according to distance and rated them by quality of care. Mainframe then gave them the most up to date traffic information that he was able to gather by his primitive means. Using all of that information, they argued over what was the best choice. After the third contraction Alison snapped at them to make a decision.

They chose a hospital that was seven miles away. There were a couple facilities closer, but Medic Brown felt that Alison had the time to go to one that had better maternity care.

She turned to the medic. "Are you going to come with us?"

He shook his head. "I'm needed here. But if you think that you need me, I will come."

"No, we should be okay."

Flint gave her hand a squeeze. "Give me a few minutes to set things up and then we'll go."

After receiving the well-wishes of Hawk and the other Joes, and Flint promising to call once the baby arrived, they made their way outside. Alison got settled, and Flint climbed out to get into the driver's seat when Stalker stopped him. "Stay in the back. I'm going to be your chauffer this afternoon."

"Are you sure?" Flint asked.

"Already cleared it with Hawk. Since this isn't my first trip to a hospital with a woman in labor, I figured I was the best man for the job."

They pulled off of the Pentagon property and were met by a wall of cars. Stalker turned his head to the back of the transport. "My game plan right now is to place nice and to follow the basic laws of driving and decency. But let me know if your situation becomes more critical and I will take advantage of this bad boy's strengths."

"Let's hope it doesn't come to that," Flint said.

Alison settled down and tried to focus on her breathing and the other tips she had learned during her childbirth class. But the contractions grew steadily stronger, and after an hour she began to regret telling the medic to stay behind. They had finally made it to the exit for the hospital, but the local traffic seemed even worse. She had two contractions before they had even made it off the exit ramp. "Dash, I hope you're prepared to help me deliver the baby."

Flint's jaw tightened. "That's not going to happen. We're going to get you there in time."

"Hey, Flint, check it out," Stalker called from the front. "The lights are back on."

It was a huge relief seeing that the electricity was restored. However, it wasn't exactly the miracle to resolve their traffic situation. But inch by inch they moved and an hour later, Stalker pulled in front of the emergency entrance of the hospital.

Stalker and Flint helped her out of the transport and into the emergency room. The woman seated at the check-in desk eyed the trio and then looked behind them to the cargo transport. "I hope you don't want to valet park that."

"No, Ma'am," Stalker replied. "I'm just dropping them off." Before leaving, he wished the two of them luck.

An orderly helped Alison into a wheelchair and brought her to one of the empty beds in a curtained off area. A nurse stopped by briefly to apologize for the chaos caused by the power outage, and then she told her that someone would be with her shortly. She then asked Flint to come with her to fill out paperwork. He hesitated for a moment, before Alison told him to go. Flint returned and smiled. "See, I told you I would get you here in time."

A different nurse finally came to her side while she was in the midst of another contraction. Oblivious to her pain, the nurse tried to ask her questions about her contractions. Alison ignored her until the pain passed. Then she answered all of the questions regarding the state of her labor. The nurse made several notations in her chart. "The OB on call will come and give you an internal exam. Then we'll decide the next step."

Flint scoffed once she walked out. "She's not exactly the epitome of bedside manner."

"I think everything is extra hectic with the power outage."

"I know. And while I know all of this is making for a really great story to tell Marissa one day, I'd feel a lot better once someone qualified takes a look at you."

Alison just nodded. She had been so wrapped up in the worry of getting to the hospital, she didn't give herself a chance to really comprehend the fact that her baby girl was going to be arriving in a matter of hours. The idea started to send her into a round of panic that was luckily disrupted by the arrival of the doctor.

"Good evening Mrs. Faireborn. From what I understand you've had contractions for a number of hours and your water broke?" Alison confirmed that was true so he continued. "Excellent. It sounds like you should be meeting your baby shortly. But let me take a quick look and see if I can get a better idea of where we stand."

Even with all of the poking and prodding she had already received, Alison was looking forward to the doctor's exam. Medic Brown had only given her a vague idea of her progress, and she wanted a more official report.

"I estimate you're about five centimeters dilated."

"Five?" Alison shouted out. "All of that time and pain for five measly centimeters?"

"I know it must not seem like a lot, but that is a lot farther along than most first time moms. The good news is that this gives us some time to get you settled in a room upstairs. It was a little chaotic earlier, so it's a good thing to get things settled down before we move you. I'll page the anesthesiologist to come talk to you about your pain management."

The Ob-Gyn left, but was replaced with a nurse. As she took Alison's vitals, Alison turned towards Flint. "I guess we didn't actually need the army transport."

The nurse chuckled. "Let me guess. It's your first baby?"

"Yes," Alison said as she squeezed Flint's hand.

"Well, don't worry, you are in good hands. Doctor Auerbach is one of the best on-call OB-Gyns we have on staff."

* * *

Flint waited out in the hallway for the anesthesiologist to finish. He was having a hard time finding a place to stand where he didn't feel like he was in the way. Even though they had been there nearly an hour, Alison was still in the emergency room triage section waiting on her room.

Flint noticed Alison's nurse hovering by the monitoring station, and he walked over to her. He had reacted badly when she had passed along the news a few minutes earlier that Alison's room still wasn't ready.

"Nurse Austin?"

She looked up from her paperwork and frowned when she saw Flint. "Mr. Faireborn, like I told you I have no control over what goes on in L & D."

"No, I understand, now. I just wanted to apologize for the way I acted."

"Don't worry about it. You're not the first father-to-be that has bitten my head off."

"It still doesn't make it right." Flint exhaled sharply. "It's no excuse but all of the stress of today has gotten to me. I thought I would feel better once we arrived, but I went from worrying about how to get her here to everything else that could go wrong."

Nurse Austin gave him a genuine smile. She patted his arm. "It's hard not to be scared about the birth, but the chances of something going tragically wrong are really quite small."

"I actually looked up the stats," Flint admitted with a smile. "I know I've been way too overprotective of Alison the last nine months, but this is literally a life changing event." Flint paused and let out a sigh. "Which scares the hell out of me."

Once again the nurse smiled. "I can tell you're going to be a good dad. I know there is not much I can say to ease that stress other than to tell you she's in good hands," Nurse Austin said. She looked at her watch. "My break is coming up. Do you want a cup of coffee?"

"That would be great. It's probably going to be a long night."

The nurse motioned towards Alison's area. "The anesthesiologist should be done in the next few minutes. How about you get some fresh air, and I'll bring the coffee to you."

Flint took her up on the offer. He walked down the hallway and found a small garden area. Once outside, he decided to call his parents to tell them the news. He had tried a couple of times earlier in the day, but the phone lines had been down. He was happy to see that with the restoration of power, the phone service had also returned.

"Isn't she early?" Marie Faireborn asked once Flint told her that Alison was in labor.

"Yes, a couple of weeks," Flint confirmed.

"But the baby isn't considered premature, right?" Marie asked.

Before Flint could answer, he heard his father interrupt, who must have been on one of the other extensions in the house. "Marie, why do you have to do that? I'm sure everything is fine, so why worry Dashiell?"

"I'm only asking the question. I'm just concerned about my granddaughter's welfare."

"From what I understand, both Alison and the baby are looking good," Flint replied although he added the item premature birth to the long list of things he was worrying about.

"Okay, that's such a relief." His mother paused and then said, "Your dad and I were looking at flights. Tomorrow is pretty booked up, but we should be able to fly in the day or two after."

The door to the gardens opened, and Flint recognized the anesthesiologist. "That sounds great," he replied automatically, barely hearing what his mother said. He then hurried off the phone and made his way back to the triage area.

Flint walked behind the curtain and saw Alison lying in bed with a goofy smile on her face. She turned towards him. "If we weren't already married, I would have proposed to that man."

Flint laughed. "I guess the pain is gone?"

"It is. The women who do this totally natural are the real heroes in my book."

Nurse Austin returned with the promised coffee, and the news that a room had finally opened up. It took some time to make the transfer, but once they were settled into their new room, Flint relaxed even more. Plus, he was highly amused by the pain-free slightly drug version of Alison.

"Tax Day!" She suddenly blurted out.

With a laugh, Flint asked her what she was talking about. "Today's April fifteenth. I just realized her birth date is going to be on Tax Day," she explained.

"That will make it easy to remember," Flint said. Although, he knew for a fact that he was never going to forget the events of the day.

However, as the hours went on, it became clear that Marissa's birth was not going to happen on the fifteenth. Just before One AM, Doctor Auerbach entered the room. After checking her charts, he did another examination and then took a seat by her bed. "It looks like your labor has stalled at 9 centimeters. That's not unusual, especially for first babies that tend to be pretty stubborn about coming out. But the fact that your membranes ruptured so early on is cause for concern.

"You're far from any critical point, but I like to avoid getting anywhere close to there. So I'm going to make a couple of recommendations. First, I want to discontinue your epidural. Sometimes the pain medication causes the labor to stall. That of course means that the contraction pains are going to return. The epidural should wear off gradually so you'll get a chance to adjust to the pain levels. However, if you don't start progressing in the next hour or two, I think it would be beneficial to introduce Pitocin."

"Is that dangerous?" Flint asked.

"No. Ideally with every birth we'd like it to progress as naturally as possible. But when that is not possible, Pitocin has proven to be a safe and effective way to stimulate the birth process. You don't need to decide anything right now about the Pitocin, but I do want to make sure you are on board regarding your epidural."

Alison nodded. "This has been nice, but I want to do what's best for the baby right now."

As the doctor had predicted, Alison's pains came back. They seemed to be coming much more frequently, which Flint hoped was a good sign. But when the doctor checked her an hour late he shook his head. "You've made some progress, but not enough, so I would like to introduce the Pitocin."

Alison nodded her head. "I'm ready for this to be over."

"Okay. I want to warn you that this may increase the frequency and the intensity of the contractions."

Alison looked towards Flint, but for once he kept his opinions to himself. The idea of getting the baby out sooner seemed to be the right cause of action, but he wasn't the one that was going to be suffering through the extra pain to make it happen. He just squeezed her hand in support. "I can handle it," she replied.

It took a few minutes for the Pitocin to kick in, but once it did things progressed dramatically. Flint did his best to try and soothe Alison, but he knew his words and actions were having little effect. When he had thought about this moment, he had wondered if Alison was going to be a stereotypical woman in labor. One that cursed and screamed and threatened him. But she wasn't. She continued to grit through the pain. Flint had always known that Alison was a tough woman, it was part of what attracted him to her in the first place. But he gained a whole new appreciation for her toughness.

"I want to push," she announced after a particularly long contraction.

"And you're ready," Doctor Auerbach announced with a smile.

The nurse led Flint away from the bed and handed him a gown. "Now's the time to put all that you learned in childbirth class to good use."

Flint looked sheepish. "I never got a chance to go to one."

"That's okay. Your daughter shouldn't hold that against you. What you need to do now is stay calm, encourage Alison and most importantly listen to anything the doctor or I tell you."

Flint nodded, put the gown on and rejoined Alison's side. He assumed that the baby would arrive after a few pushes, but once again, she was proving to be stubborn.

Flint didn't miss the worried look the nurse gave the monitor. He squeezed Alison's hand, and tried to eavesdrop in on the comment the nurse made to the doctor, but he couldn't hear her. Doctor Auerbach nodded. "Okay, Alison, I really need you to push. Everything is still fine, but your daughter's heart rate is falling slightly. The sooner we get her out the better."

Flint wiped the sweat soaked hair off of Alison's forehead. "Babe, you can do this."

Alison turned towards him. She opened her eyes for a moment, but then shut them again. "I want to. I'm just so tired."

Flint began a pep talk but a beeping alarm cut him off. He turned towards the monitor. "Is it the baby?" he asked in a panic.

The doctor jumped up, and began to bark a series of orders, one of which was to tell Flint he needed to leave the room. Flint didn't know what was going on, but the one thing he knew was that he wasn't leaving. The nurse went to his side, and pulled on his arm, but Flint resisted. "No. What's going on? What's wrong with the baby?"

"It's not the baby, it's actually Alison. Her blood pressure bottomed out. This sometimes happens with labors that last a long time. She's going to be okay, but we need you to leave the room for a few minutes."

"No, I'm not leaving them."

"Please, it's for the best. I know you're worried, but to get them the best help, we just need you to step outside for a few moments. Once the danger has passed, I'll come and get you, I promise."

Flint reluctantly nodded. He kissed Alison on the forehead, and he noticed with dismay she was barely conscious. He again balked at the idea at leaving, but he whispered a quick "I love you" before the nurse gently led him out into the hallway.

The door closed behind her, and Flint was hit with the realization that his wife and unborn child were going to be fighting for their lives while he stood helpless in the hallway. His thoughts began to spiral into a dark place, but a vibration in his pocket brought him back into the present. He had been dimly aware of his phone ringing fairly often while he had been in the labor and delivery room, but he had ignored it. Now he needed the distraction. Pulling the phone out of his pocket he saw that it was his mother.

"Dashiell, honey, I've been calling for hours."

"You've been up all night?"

"I never sleep when my grandchildren are entering the world. Your father, though, is out cold."

Flint couldn't help but laugh, but since his emotions were so out of control, the laugh nearly turned to a sob.

"Honey, what's wrong? Is the baby here?"

"No, mom," Flint answered. He tried to remain calm, but the last image of Alison was threatening to unhinge him. "There was some kind of complication. They said everything will be okay, but they threw me out of the room."

His mother didn't respond at first, and Flint initially regretted baring his soul. But then she did speak. "Dashiell, listen to me. I know you're probably worried half to death, but you have to stay positive. Sometimes they just need to do things that they don't want the new dad to watch."

"I know, and I'm trying to stay calm. But they said it would only be a few moments, but it's been longer than that. It's just that…mom, I can't lose them."

"I know, honey, and you're not. I really believe that."

The door to Alison's room opened, and the nurse came out. "The nurse is back, I have to go. I'll call you as soon as I can."

"Mister Faireborn, it's time," the nurse told him with a smile.

Flint raced in the room. He only half paid attention to the explanation the nurse said about what had happened to Alison. All he cared about at the moment was that she was okay, and his daughter was about to be born.

He went to her side. She still looked exhausted, but at least she was showing more signs of life. He replaced the nurse that was at her side helping her push through the latest contraction. "Mr. and Mrs. Faireborn, this is it. One more push and your daughter will be here."

Flint locked eyes with Alison and grinned at her. "Babe, you got this." She gave him a tired smile in return, and then she grimaced and bore down. Seconds later, he heard a faint cry.


	17. Chapter 17

Alison knew she should be paying attention to the activity going on at the side of the room, but she was exhausted and still focused on the pain radiating from her center. It was not nearly as painful as the contractions she had suffered through, but it was enough to keep her distracted. She rested her head back against the pillow and closed her eyes.

She dozed off for a moment before she was awoken by the nurse. "Alison, do you want to try and nurse your daughter?"

Alison opened her eyes and nodded. Flint was right behind the nurse, beaming at the baby, which made her feel guilty. So far she hadn't felt the overwhelming rush of love that Flint must have been feeling. The nurse put the baby in her arms, and Alison looked down hoping to be hit with the feeling. She wasn't, but she knew she still had a job to do.

She brought the baby to her breast and was happy to see that she latched on immediately. Alison looked down at her. She was surprised at how tiny she was, since she had felt like such an enormous presence inside of her.

The baby stopped sucking and seemed to fall asleep. Alison looked up at the nurse in alarm. "She fell asleep already. Is that normal?"

The nurse nodded as she walked over. "It is. She's had a rough day, so right now sleeping is her top priority. When she wakes up you can try again. But don't be surprised if it happens again. Your milk isn't in yet, so she probably won't eat well for a couple of days."

"What do we do in the meantime?" Flint asked.

"Just keep nursing her. What you are producing should be enough to sustain her. But don't be surprised if she loses a few ounces over the next days. We'll keep an eye on her while you're here, and supplement if necessary. You'll bring her to her pediatrician in a week to make sure she's thriving."

Alison grimaced and looked at Flint. "I knew I forgot to do something."

The nurse laughed. "Don't worry, you're not the first. If you need recommendations, I can give you a list." She gestured to the other nurse standing behind her. "They want to get you cleaned up. Do you want me to put the baby in the bassinet?"

"No, I'll take her," Flint said. After the nurse deftly handed him the swaddled infant, he took her over to the couch to give them the room to work on Alison. He just sat there, staring at the sleeping angel. She had only been in the world a few minutes, but he was already head over heels in love with her. Even though he watched it happen, he still couldn't believe that she, his daughter, was actually here.

Once the nurses were done, they left the two of them alone.

"Can you believe we made her?" Flint asked as he walked back to Alison's bedside. Taking care not to jostle the baby, he leaned over to kiss Alison's forehead.

"I know. It's pretty incredible," she answered with a tired smile.

"How are you feeling?"

"I'm tired and sore, but I'll live. Compared to what it felt like I a couple of hours ago, this is nothing."

"Was it as bad as you thought it was going to be?"

"It's funny. While it was happening I remember that I thought up several gruesome and excruciatingly painful ways of torturing you as payback. But now that's it over, I don't actually remember how painful it really was."

"It helps that seeing her makes it all worth it in the end." The baby woke up and let out a squawk. "Do you want to try and feed her again?"

Alison nodded and gingerly shifted in the bed. Flint laid the baby next to her. As he watched the two of them, his heart swelled with love and pride. They were his family. He pulled over one of the chairs so he could sit at Alison's bedside.

"So what do you think? Does she look like a Marissa?" Alison asked.

Flint rubbed his finger gently through his daughter's wispy brown curls. "She does. I think it's perfect for her."

Flint continued to watch the two of them until first Marissa and then Alison fell asleep. Flint shifted so he could rest his head on the bed. Marissa seemed secure nestled up against Alison, but Flint wanted to make sure she didn't get too close to the edge of the bed. He watched her for a few more moments before he too fell asleep.

Their family nap had only lasted a few minutes when the nurse entered the room, and scolded them for sleeping with Marissa on the bed. She told them the safest place for Marissa was the bassinet. She then placed the infant in there, while she set Alison up with the meal she had brought her.

Once she left, Alison had a few choice words for both the nurse and the food. She poked at the tray which vaguely resembled breakfast. She took a bite, grimaced and said, "I'm starving. Can you get me something real to eat?"

"Sure, what do you want?"

"Ideally, one of Roadblock's famous omelets and hash browns. But I'll take a breakfast sandwich."

Flint called his mother while he walked down to the lobby. "She's here," he said once she answered.

His mother shrieked, and told him to tell her the details. Flint choked up as he said, "Marissa Elizabeth Faireborn was born at 4:56AM. She's seven pounds, ten ounces, and nineteen inches long. And she's perfect."

His mother went silent for a few moments and then she said, "You gave her my middle name, which was your grandmother's name."

"I know. That's why we chose it."

His mother started to cry. Flint struggled to keep himself from doing the same. Once his mother got control of herself she said, "Dashiell, thank you and thank Alison. I love you all, and I can't wait to meet this little angel. Now let me call the rest of the family."

Luckily the next call to Hawk wasn't nearly as emotional. But he too promised to let the other Joes know. Flint figured that took care of his obligation to alert everyone he cared about to the news. He then bought two breakfast sandwiches and went back into Alison's room.

Once they were finished, Flint left to take a cab back to the Pentagon to pick up Alison's car. He then drove to their home to shower and to pick up Alison's bag. Since he planned on spending the night at the hospital, he packed a bag for him as well. Before leaving, he installed the car seat. It took longer than was probably necessary, but he wanted to make sure it was safe and secure.

When he returned to the hospital, he noticed right away that Alison's mood hadn't improved. She grumbled to the nurse who was in the process of taking her blood pressure. When she pulled out a thermometer, Alison exhaled sharply. "I still don't have a fever."

Flint had to give the nurse credit for keeping her composure. "Mrs. Faireborn, I'm sure you know your body better than me, but I still need to make sure you aren't in the early stages of an infection."

Once the nurse finished her checks and left, Alison slowly and painfully stood up from the bed. Flint went to help her. "Should you be getting up?"

"I want to change out of this gown and into my own. It's okay. Nurse Ratchet actually wants me to walk around a bit."

Flint made sure she got to the bathroom okay, and then went to check on Marissa, who was sleeping peacefully. Alison exited the bathroom. "You missed Stalker and Lydia earlier."

"That was nice that they came by. I'm sorry I missed them."

Alison looked from the door to the bed. "I was going to attempt to take a walk, but this little adventure tired me out more than I want to admit. I think I'm going to try and take another nap. The nurse did say she would take Marissa to the nursery if I wanted to get some sleep. I might take her up on that."

Since Flint had been gone most of the day, he didn't want to send Marissa away. "No, don't do that, I'll watch her."

Alison nodded. "Okay. She did eat about a half hour ago, and she has a fresh diaper, so I think she should be good. For how long, I don't know."

Flint helped Alison into bed, and then kissed her. "Don't worry, I'll take care of her. If I need help, I have reinforcements outside."

Alison fell asleep shortly after her head hit the pillow. Flint had to admit that the idea of a nap was tempting. He looked over at the pull-out couch that was in the room. It didn't look comfortable, but he knew he had slept in worse places. However he was still keyed up after Marissa's birth, and he meant what he said to Alison about wanting to spend the time with Marissa.

He walked over to the bassinet and was greeted by a pair of blue-grey eyes looking up at him. He grinned at Marissa, and even though she was probably weeks away from learning the skill, he still held out hope that she would return his smile. Instead she shot him a quizzical look, scrunched up her face and made the cutest and tiniest little squawk.

He scooped her into his arms and turned to look at Alison. She was still asleep, so he left the room. Flint slowly closed the hospital door behind him. The nurse on duty frowned at him as he walked across the hall but he flashed his arm band. "I promise, she's mine. My wife wants to take a nap, so I thought I'd take her for a walk."

The nurse still didn't look happy. "Okay, but only up and down this hallway. If you try to take her off this floor, her armband will set off the alarm."

As Flint walked down the hall, he wondered why they would need such intense security. He then made the decision that he wasn't leaving the hospital again until Alison and Marissa came home. Once he completed the loop, he headed for the family lounge that was located caddy-corner to Alison's room.

He sat down in one of the chairs with a clear view into the hallway, in case Alison had any other visitors. A couple of minutes later he recognized Beachhead heading towards Alison room. "Wayne, in here," he called out.

"Al's taking a nap," Flint explained once Beachhead took the seat near him. "She had a long night."

"I bet," Beachhead answered. "But she's doing okay?"

"As good as can be expected." Flint looked down at his daughter. "And this is Marissa Elizabeth. Do you want to hold her?"

Beachhead jerked back. "No I'm good. I'm better at admiring babies from afar."

Flint tried to not take the comment personally. He settled into the chair, knowing Beachhead's visit was going to be awkward until Alison woke up. Trying to find a way to pass the time, he asked Beachhead to get him up to speed on what happened after they left the Pentagon.

"We stood around with our thumbs up our asses until the lights came back on. Once things returned to normal, the Jugglers wanted to continue the exercise. But then we got word that Zartan had escaped."

"What?" Flint shouted, causing Marissa to cry. He cursed his actions. He shifted the baby to rest against his chest and shoulder and rubbed her back until she calmed down.

"Yep. The Dreadnoks broke him out, and then they literally rode off into the sunset. Duke's bringing a team to Fort Meade to see if they can find any leads, but if it's anything like our past dealings with them, they're long gone."

Flint nodded. "That can't be a coincidence."

"That's the thinking right now. There are at least a dozen different theories floating around about how the Dreadnoks did it, and if they had help. The only thing we know for sure is that the outage extended from New York to Richmond."

Flint whistled. "That's a lot of real estate."

"It is. Luckily, casualties were minor. If it happened in the height of either summer or winter, I'd be telling you a much different story."

The two fell into a silence while Flint contemplated the news. But then Beachhead interrupted his thoughts. "Did Alison ever tell you I tore her a new one when I found out she was pregnant?"

"She mentioned it, but she didn't go into details." Flint answered. That was a time of his life he didn't like reliving. But it made him appreciate the miracle in his arms even more.

Beachhead nodded, and Flint thought that conversation was over. However, Beachhead surprised him. "When I was in boot camp I had a fling with a fellow private. Looking back, I don't know how we had the energy or the time, but we were young and stupid. Two weeks before the end, she told me she was pregnant.

"I was shocked, as that was more than I had bargained for. I didn't have the best father as a role model, so I didn't think I had what it took to be a dad. I told her I needed time to think, to sort things out. She said that was fine. Since we were so close to graduating, she wanted to keep her condition a secret for the time being. That didn't sit well with me, and I told her so. Needless to say, she told me where to go. Said I couldn't decide to opt out of the process while dictating her decisions.

"Two days later she suffered a fall during one of our early morning training sessions. It didn't seem serious, but the next day she started bleeding and lost the baby. I hadn't even fully come around to the idea of fatherhood at that point, but I was still upset when I heard. Even though the doctor claimed the fall wasn't the cause, and that the miscarriage would have probably happened anyway, I blamed her for her carelessness which ended any relationship we had left at that point.

"Looking back, it was probably for the best. We were just kids, we barely knew each other, and we ended up being sent to opposite ends of the world. But every so often I find myself thinking about what could have been. So when I found out Alison was taking the same gamble with your baby, I railed into her. I knew how hurt I had been, and I hadn't had nearly the same type of feelings for my girl as you do for Alison. I knew if you lost either one of them you would have been devastated."

Flint subconsciously hugged Marissa tighter. "A belated thank you for looking out for my best interests."

Beachhead shrugged. "I figured I owed you for the hard time I gave you over the years. I think my experience clouded my judgment when it came to military romances. I still don't think it's a good idea, but I'm glad in your case it worked. You're a lucky man. And maybe one day, being a husband and father will happen for me as well."

Flint was temporarily speechless as he had never had such a deep heart to heart with Beachhead. "How about Joanna? She seems really nice."

Beachhead smiled. "She is. And she puts up with my quirks, which is a big plus. But I don't know if she's the one. Were you sure with Alison?"

"I was," Flint admitted with a grin. "Pretty much right from the beginning."

Beachhead sighed and sat back into the chair. "That's what I'm looking for."

"Don't just go by my experience. Sometimes it takes longer."

"I know. And I do enjoy being with Joanna, so we'll see what happens."

Alison's door opened and she looked into the hallway. Once she saw them sitting in the lounge, she gingerly took a few steps towards them. Flint rose and met her halfway. "Did you sleep okay?"

"Yes, I was out cold. I still feel like I can sleep for hours, but I wanted to check on you two."

Marissa's eyes opened again at the sound of her mother's voice. Her face scrunched up and she began to cry. Flint passed her to Alison. "Sounds like she wants her mommy."

"And I'm going to take that as my cue to leave," Beachhead said.

"Are you sure? This shouldn't take long," Alison said.

"Yeah. I spent some good quality time with Flint and the baby. She's beautiful. Congratulations."

Once Beachhead left, Alison turned towards Flint. "You guys spent quality time together? I didn't hear any arguing."

"No, it was strange but nice. I didn't think it existed, but Beach actually has a soft side."

Alison climbed into bed and began to feed Marissa. "I've caught glimpses of it as well. I think being away from the Joes is good for him."

Flint settled into the chair and rested his head back as his exhaustion caught up with him. While he began to doze off, he thought about all that Beachhead had said. The Ranger was right. He was a lucky man.


	18. Chapter 18

Two mornings later Alison and Marissa got the okay to be discharged. As Flint packed up the many items they had accumulated during the hospital stay, his phone rang. He answered it and heard his mother's voice. "Dashiell, we just landed! We have to get our bags, so we're wondering if you can still pick us up."

He silently cursed. He had forgotten about his parents' arrival. Which meant he had also forgotten to inform Alison of her impending visitors. She was not going to be pleased. "No, I'm sorry. We're still at the hospital, checking out is taking longer than expected."

"Okay, that's fine. We'll take a cab to you house."

"That sounds good. Sorry," he added as an afterthought. Normally he would have been a lot nicer to his mother but he had bigger problems he had to deal with. "We'll see you soon."

That bigger problem was shooting him daggers with her eyes. "We'll see who soon?" Alison asked.

"My parents. Did I mention that they wanted to fly in to meet Marissa?"

"No, damn it Dash, no! Don't even tell me they are on their way here."

"Well, no, not here as in the hospital. But they are on the way to our house."

"Are you kidding me? What is wrong with you? Why would you invite them to our house on the same day we come home? This hospital has been a nightmare, and all I've wanted the last forty-eight hours is to go home and finally spend some quiet time with you and Marissa. I don't want to have to entertain your family."

"They don't need to be entertained. They only want to spend some time with Marissa."

"I get that, I really do. But what I don't understand is why you didn't ask me about this first?"

Flint flashed her a sheepish grin. "Because you were sidetracked by your labor at the time?"

Alison let out such a surprising combination of curses that Flint felt like he should cover Marissa's ears. And because he was an idiot with a death wish, he called her on it. "Are those really some of the first words Marissa should be exposed to?"

She didn't even dignify him with a response. In fact she didn't speak to him again while they finished packing. They finally were cleared to leave, and Alison's mood was made even more sour when the nurse told her she needed to leave in a wheelchair. Marissa was already buckled in her portable car seat, so Flint grabbed her and their bags and followed the nurse and Alison to the parking garage. After getting the car, Alison got in the back with Marissa and the three of them drove home in silence.

Flint cringed when he pulled up and saw that his parents had beaten them there. While his father took photo after photo, his mother ran towards the car. She shrieked when she saw Marissa, which made the baby cry. Flint did his best to ignore Alison's glares as he tried to get everyone in the house.

Once inside, his mother reached for Marissa, who luckily stopped crying when she was picked up. "Nate, quick, take our photo!"

Alison slowly walked over to the dining room and grimaced as she sat down. Flint knew she was still in quite a bit of pain, which made him feel even worse for subjecting his parents upon her. He rubbed her back. "Can I get you something?"

"No, I'm fine," she said with disgust. She started to rise but then thought better of it. She sighed. "Actually, I do need a bottle of water."

The fact that she didn't even have the energy to continue to be nasty to him spoke volumes. He headed towards the kitchen. "Mom, Dad, can I get you a drink?"

His mother had made her way to the couch and was mesmerized by her granddaughter, so she didn't respond. His father, though, asked for a beer and followed him into the kitchen. "I'm sure your mother would take an iced tea, or lemonade or whatever you have."

Flint opened the refrigerator door and quickly realized they were severely limited in the 'whatever they have' department. There were various condiments, a few bottles of water, and hardly anything else. "Sorry, dad. With the exercise, it had been crazy the last couple of weeks. So I imagine Alison didn't have the energy or time for grocery shopping."

His father stared him down. "And you don't have to capability to run simple errands?"

Flint was overtired which meant he didn't have a good handle on his budding anger. "Of course I help out when I'm here. I spent most of the last month in Arizona, and only flew in a few days ago to support the exercise."

"You're still commuting back and forth from Arizona?" His father shook his head. "And you left her alone when she was nine months pregnant?"

It was amazing how fast Flint could be transformed into feeling like a misbehaving child. "I didn't have a lot of choice in the matter," Flint mumbled.

"Well, I hope you're working on fixing that. You have a newborn now. It's not fair to either one of you if you continue to spend all your time in Arizona while you expect her to raise the baby by herself."

Flint debated explaining to his father the nuances of Army life, but he realized he already had Alison mad at him, and he didn't need to add to that list. "I know. I'm working on it. But in the meantime, how about I run to the store and get us a few beers and mom her iced tea."

"No. You stay here with Alison, and I'll take your mother to the store. Just tell me where it is, and let me borrow your car."

They walked out into the living room and Flint tossed him his keys. Once his father caught them he turned to his mother. "Marie, come with me to the supermarket, we need to pick up a couple of things."

"But why? I'm holding the baby."

"You have all week to hold the baby. Besides, didn't you say you forgot your cream or something?"

"What are you talking about?" she asked with such a look of confusion, that Flint had to bite down on his lip to keep from laughing. But then she noticed the look that his father was shooting her and she clued in. "Oh yes, right, my cream. I forgot. Alison, where do you want me to put her?"

Before she answered, Flint chimed in. "I'll take her, Mom. And thanks."

She passed him Marissa, and then the two left.

Alison waited a few moments after the door closed. "Well, that was subtle. Did you ask your dad to drag her out kicking and screaming?"

"No that was his idea. Right after he chewed me out for still commuting back and forth. He said I've abandoned you in your time of need. You should spend some time chatting with him. I'd think you'd like him."

Alison nodded. "It's good to see someone in your family has some common sense." She paused for a moment. "Wait a minute, did your dad say a week?"

Flint noticed that comment as well. "I didn't get their exact travel plans."

Alison muttered under her breath. She then looked at her watch. "When they get back, they are free to hang out until Marissa wants to eat again, which might be in an hour or hour and a half. Once that happens, I want them out. I'm having enough problems trying to get her to eat without an audience cheering me on."

"Okay, that's no problem. I can call them a cab to take them back to their hotel."

Alison shook her head. "No. I want you to take them back. Go with them to dinner, go see the sights, whatever. But I want everyone out of here this evening."

Flint wondered if he was going to be allowed back home that night, or if he was going to need to crash in their hotel room as well. But he figured he was better off not asking the question. His parents returned a half hour later with a few bags of items. Marissa was sound asleep in her bassinet when they returned, and while his mother was disappointed she couldn't hold her, she was content to sit and watch her.

Flint had to admit that despite the drama of earlier, he was enjoying himself. And since Alison was holding up her part of the conversation, he hoped she was too. But despite whatever good feelings she may have had, as soon as Marissa opened her eyes and started to squawk, she shot him a look. She then picked up the baby, gave her to her grandparents for a quick kiss, and then made her excuse to go into their bedroom.

Flint turned to his parents with a huge fake smile. "So who's up for dinner and a tour of the monuments?"

A few hours later, Flint was satisfied with the impromptu tour of DC that he had taken them on. It helped that he had been able to get a hold of Stalker who had agreed to take them around the Pentagon. They seemed impressed with the tour. He hoped that made up somewhat for not getting the time to spend with Marissa.

He had then taken them to one of his favorite restaurants which they also seemed to enjoy. All in all in was a successful time, and he was a little disappointed when his mother asked to return to the hotel.

He pulled up in front of their hotel, and his mother went up to their room. However, his father stayed behind in the car. "Thank you for this, Dashiell. It was a truly enjoyable day." He looked towards the hotel and then back towards Flint. "I'm sorry that we barged in like this. I tried to talk your mother out of it, but you know how she gets."

"No, Dad, it's okay. I know how excited mom was to meet Marissa, and I am glad you came. But, don't hold it against Alison. It was my fault. I had gotten so wrapped up in Marissa's birth that I forgot to mention that you two were coming until this afternoon. So she just got overwhelmed by everything. I'm sure she'll be in a better frame of mind tomorrow."

Flint's father patted him on the thigh. "Son, I'm going to give you a couple pieces of advice that I have learned after raising three kids. First of all, the birth of a child, especially a first born, is truly a miraculous and amazing time. It's also going to be the most hellish few months of your life. And you won't have it half as bad as what Alison is going to experience. If you want your marriage to survive intact, you need to learn to ignore about ninety percent of what is going to come out of her mouth for the foreseeable future.

"Secondly, she sacrificed the last nine months of her life creating your child. That's something you can never fully pay her back for. But you can start by trying to give her whatever she wants, again, for the foreseeable future. The good news is that if you do this right then she may like you enough to work on making baby number two. And the even better news is that the second one is not nearly as hard."

Flint thanked his father and told him he would see him tomorrow. On the way back to his house, he stopped at the supermarket to pick up a bouquet of flowers. He then picked up the makings of a breakfast that he planned to cook for her.

He quietly entered the house, and saw she was still in their bedroom. He hoped that all had gone well with her time alone with Marissa. He had put the groceries away, and the flowers in a vase when she came out. She looked awful, but she didn't shoot him a dirty look. He took that as a sign that he could go to her.

"Hey, babe, how did it go?"

"Terrible," she admitted as she wiped at her eyes. "I don't think she's eating enough. I want to say I feel bad for her as I watch her sucking so hard, but it hurts so much that I only feel bad for myself. And I can't believe I have to repeat this torture again in about forty-five minutes."

He held out his arms and she collapsed against him. "My dad said that eventually it'll get better."

She pulled away and looked at him in horror. "Please tell me you didn't spend tonight talking about my breastfeeding problems."

Flint too was horrified. "No, I would never do that. He just gave me good general marital and parental advice."

"That explains the flowers," she said with a smile. "They are pretty. Thank you."

"It's the least I could do, after how I subjected you to my parents. I'm really sorry about that. It's no excuse but I got so wrapped up in Marissa's birth, I honestly forgot."

"So do they totally hate me?"

Before Flint could answer there was a cry from the nursery. Alison's shoulders slumped. "I guess I was wrong about the forty-five minutes."

"Maybe she just wants attention. Go lay down. I'll get her and if I can't calm her down, I'll bring her to you."

Alison nodded. She turned towards the bedroom, but Flint reached for her and pulled her in for an embrace. "I love you."

At first she resisted, but then she relaxed against his chest. "I love you too."

* * *

The next morning after breakfast, Flint drove to his parent's hotel to pick them up. As they climbed into the car his mother asked how the first night at home went. "Okay, I guess. Marissa slept about three hours at a time." He didn't admit to the fact that he basically slept through the 0430 feeding.

"That's really good for a baby her age."

"I'm sure it is. But Alison is still so wiped out."

"Poor thing. And that's why we're here. We want to help her out so she can catch up on her sleep during the day."

It sounded like a solid plan. Flint only hoped that Alison would overcome her stubbornness and accept their help. Especially since he wanted to go to the Pentagon to check in with Hawk and General Bradshaw to get an update on the search for Zartan. "I have to go into work for a little while today." Flint ignored the look of disappointment that his father gave him from the passenger's seat. "I should only be gone a couple of hours."

When they returned to the house, Alison met them with a tired smile. "I had hoped that we would both be bathed and dressed by the time you arrived, but this morning is going slower than expected."

"That's the story of motherhood," Marie said. "Do you want me to give her a bath?"

Alison hesitated but then she nodded. "That would be great. I watched them do it in the hospital, but I haven't tried it by myself yet."

Flint grinned as his mother happily took on the task. As they set up the infant tub in the bathroom, she gave them both tips on the best way to bathe a newborn. Flint stayed to watch the process and to take a few photos. Once Marissa was redressed, Marie took her into her arms and brought her into the living room.

Flint put his arm on Alison's shoulder. "Take advantage of my parents' help."

"I am. I'm going to take a shower and then go lie down." She then eyed him. "What are you going to do?"

Flint ran his hand through his hair. "I'm going to head into the Pentagon to check in with Hawk to see if there are any results from the exercise yet." He purposely kept the news about Zartan from her.

Alison sighed. "Fine, but don't be gone all day."

"I won't. I promise."

Flint kissed her and then walked out into the living rom. He quickly left before his parents could give him a hard time about deserting his family.

When he arrived at the Pentagon he walked into Hawk's office who was in deep conversation with Duke. They took a break as he entered, and Duke walked over to give him a hearty hug and a pat on the back. "Congratulations. I'm hoping to visit Alison and meet Marissa before I head back."

"That would be great. My parents are in town for a few days and they will all love to see you."

Duke smirked. "It sounds like a full house. I guess that explains why you came in on your day off."

Flint let out a chuckle as he nodded. "That, and I wanted to get an update on the Zartan situation."

"We were just discussing it," Hawk said as he waved towards the chairs in front of his desk. Both men took their seats and Hawk continued. "Have you been keeping up with the news the last couple of days?"

"Other than what Beachhead told me the other day about Zartan escaping, I haven't."

"That's understandable, so let me give you a recap. What should come as no surprise, the power outage was no accident. It appeared to be a coordinated attack that took out several key pieces of equipment. Therefore, the current theory is that the Dreadnoks are behind it."

While the theory seemed plausible, Flint didn't buy it. He looked from Hawk to Duke. "Do you believe that?"

Duke smiled. "No, but I want to hear why you don't," he said and pushed a folder towards Flint.

Flint read through the information, which gave him a more detailed account of the attacks. Once he was done he shook his head. "I can understand that the Dreadnoks needed the outage to help them get to Zartan. But what happened to the grid went way beyond that."

"Some say it's because they really wanted to make the statement that you don't mess with the Zartan family," Hawk replied.

Flint still wasn't buying it. He lay down the map which showed which substations and transmission centers were attacked and pointed to the one closest to Fort Meade. "Taking this one out turns off the power where Zartan is being held. That makes sense. If they wanted more of an impact, I can see hitting these other nearby targets to add Baltimore and DC to the list. That's quite a statement, and probably a big enough distraction for what they were planning.

"So why go beyond that? Why extend the outage north? They would have needed to send at least a couple of guys to attack the stations in New Jersey and New York, which sets up the potential of being shorthanded when they went to break Zartan out, which was their main goal."

"Unless they had help," Duke said.

Flint leaned back in the chair. "Now that's the truly scary thought. Alison did say it seemed like something Cobra would do."

"That was our thought too," Hawk said. "You learned firsthand that Mindbender is still up to his old tricks. Destro and the Twins are giving the appearance that they are walking the straight and narrow now, but it wouldn't be a stretch that they were secretly funding the remnants of Cobra."

Flint nodded. "It's possible about the Twins, but Alison seemed pretty convinced that Destro has turned away from his evil ways."

"Maybe she's right. And I have always trusted her judgment," Hawk said. But right now while it's important to track down who the puppetmaster is, the simple fact that there may be one is what's worrying me more."

Flint digested the information for a moment. He then let out a sigh. "This is making me miss the days of Cobra Commander taking over the airways to announce his latest plan for world domination. At least then we knew what his endgame was."

"Which is exactly the question we are left with. What was the motive for the outage? Was it simply to break out Zartan? Or is there more to it? Is someone or somebodies out there putting America on notice?" Duke asked.

It was a scary thought. There was a time a few months ago when Flint would have relished the idea of tracking down a new threat, and making his days on the Joe team feel meaningful again. But now, all he could think about was Marissa, and wanting to protect her from the evils in the world. "So what's the plan going forward?"

"I've done about all I can here," Duke said. "I'm going back to HQ before the end of the day. General Bradshaw is on board to send a couple of teams out to check out the Dreadnoks usual stomping grounds. Especially since we might have some additional funding because the Joes passed the abbreviated version of the exercise."

"You did good work out there Flint," Hawk added with a smile. "Admiral Ledger gave you a glowing review."

Flint took a moment to bask in the glow of Hawk's praise. "What do you want me to do?"

Hawk closed the files on his desk. "Go home. Help your wife, entertain your parents and take care of your little girl. You have twelve days of leave left, and I want you to use them. I don't want to see you back here."

Flint rose and saluted Hawk. Like the good soldier he was, he planned on following his CO's orders.


	19. Chapter 19

A/N: Once again, I apologize for the delay in posting. The end of summer was pretty busy for me, but now with us getting back into a normal routine I hope to publish fairly regularly.

* * *

Flint looked at the clock. It was nearing mid-afternoon, and he had a long trip back to Arizona ahead of him. But despite the fact that he had been packed since early that morning, he still couldn't bring himself to leave.

His latest excuse was waiting until Alison finished nursing Marissa so he could say a proper goodbye to both of them. As Alison shifted on the couch to bring the baby up to her shoulder he knew that time had come. Once he heard Marissa burp, he offered to take her to her room to be changed.

He laid Marissa gently on the changing table, and paused a moment just to watch her. They had hung colorful items on the wall to keep her occupied during changing time, and she had finally discovered them the previous day. Flint watched as she stared intently at the one square while her tiny legs and arms flailed around.

"I would feel a lot better about you leaving if I had any idea of when you might be coming back," Alison said as she walked into the room.

"You and me both," Flint replied. "As soon as I get back and get caught up on the latest happenings, I want to try and make a schedule."

Alison sat down in the rocking chair. The one thing that was alleviating Flint's guilt was that she appeared to be almost completely recovered from the birth. He knew she was still in some pain, but at least she was mobile.

He turned his attention to the task at hand. As he was redressing Marissa he heard a sniffling sound. At first he thought it was coming from the baby but he quickly realized it was Alison who was crying. He put Marissa in her crib and turned his attention to his wife. He knelt in front of her and pulled her into his arms.

"Everything makes me cry now," she said as she relaxed against him. "This morning I was sobbing during a car commercial."

Alison had never been one to hide her emotions, whether it was anger, happiness or sadness. And while he could blame hormones for exacerbating her mood swings, he had to guess his impending departure was mostly to blame. "I'm sorry," he said.

She pushed him away. "I know you are. That doesn't exactly change anything, though." Before he could reply, she let out a sigh and apologized again. "I told you, I'm a mess. You should go. The sooner I start single parenting, the sooner I get used to it."

Flint reluctantly rose. "I know you can do this, but if you want a helping hand, remember my mom said she will come back anytime you need her."

The look Alison shot him was enough of an answer. Flint couldn't help but laugh. "Come on, even you admitted you had a good time while they were here."

"You're right. They were a big help, and I learned a lot. But like I said, I now have to learn how to do this on my own."

Flint knew she was right. He called for a cab to take him to Andrews Air Force base, where his Skystriker had been parked the previous few weeks. Once it arrived he gave Alison and Marissa a farewell hug and kiss. The flight back went without a hitch, and soon he was landing the Skystriker on the runway. He came to a stop outside the hangar and climbed out. After signing off the required paperwork and making small talk with Lift-Ticket, Flint headed towards HQ. Technically, he was still on leave for a few hours, and he planned on taking advantage that. He had briefly considered getting a jump start on what he assumed was a massive to-do list, but he was tired and still upset over the idea of leaving Alison and Marissa behind. All he wanted to do was head back to his apartment and sleep for hours.

So when his phone rang he groaned. Especially when he saw it was Duke. He cursed at the fact that he couldn't be back on base for minutes without someone needing his attention. He debated ignoring it, but he figured that if Duke was calling, he knew he was back on base. And since Flint figured he was probably going to spend the next few months asking for favors to spend time in DC, he needed to not piss Duke off. So he answered it.

"Hey buddy, welcome back. How's the baby?"

Flint grinned. He assumed that was a question he would be hearing a lot the next few days. He couldn't be with his daughter, but he could at least brag about her. "She's perfect. Which made it hard to leave them," Flint admitted.

"I bet. I hate to do this to you on your first night back, but something came up. I need you in my office as soon as you can get here."

Flint sighed. "Hauser, I'm exhausted. Can it wait until morning?"

"No, I'm sorry, it can't."

"Fine. I'll be there in a couple of minutes." He mumbled to himself as he walked over to Duke's office. He wondered what could be so important that Duke couldn't wait the few hours. He grumbled several choice words before he knocked on Duke's door. He was told to enter, and when he opened the door he was greeted with a cheer from about a half dozen of his teammates.

Duke was the first to walk over. "Sorry to lie to you, but you know this is Joe tradition. Congratulations!" Duke then hugged him, patted his back and handed him the glass in his hand. "Cheers!"

Flint grinned at his teammates. He tipped the glass in salute to them and then took a hearty sip.

"How's Lady Jaye doing?" Shipwreck asked. Duke glared at him and the sailor shrugged. "I don't care what happened, she's always going to be Lady Jaye to me."

Flint took another sip. It was good stuff, and he could already feel his tension slipping away. "She's doing well. At times it's been a bit of a learning curve, but she's hanging in there."

"Do you have any photos?" Roadblock asked.

Flint grinned. He had hoped someone would ask. He dropped his bag on the ground, unzipped it and pulled out an envelope. Inside were the dozens of photos he had taken the last couple of weeks. "I have just a few."

As the guys passed around the pictures, there was a knock at the door. Flint went over to answer it and was surprised to see Anvil on the other side. "I heard there was a little celebratory party going on."

"Yes, sir," Flint answered as he wondered if it was going to be shut down.

"Oh, good. I thought I was too late. I brought a gift." He then pulled out a box of cigars.

Alpine whistled. "You have great taste, General."

"Thank you," General Bradshaw said as he opened the box and handed Flint the first cigar. "Congratulations on the birth of your daughter."

Flint took the cigar. Despite the happiness he was feeling at the moment, he couldn't help but think back to Alison's prediction the night she told him she was pregnant. She had been exactly right in what she had expected to happen. But he was grateful that despite that, they were happy and making the situation work.

They continued to smoke and drink, and Flint lost all track of time. Until his cell phone rang. As soon as it did, he remembered that he never called Alison to tell her that he arrived safely. He walked to the corner of the room and answered it.

"Oh good. So you didn't die in a fiery plane crash in the Midwest."

"Al, I'm so sorry. Duke called me into a meeting as soon as I returned. I haven't had a chance to call you."

"Oh no, I'm sorry. Anything serious?"

Shipwreck stumbled over. "It's a very important meeting. A matter of national security!"

Flint hoped that she didn't hear him, but there was no such luck.

"Never mind. It does sound very important."

Flint pushed Shipwreck away. "I'm sorry about that. The guys are just throwing me a surprise little get- together. I've passed around photos of Marissa, and they all say she's beautiful."

"That sounds nice. I'll let you go."

"No, it's okay. I can still talk." But no sooner were the words out of his mouth that there was a roar behind him, and then a couple of the Joes started cackling in laughter.

"Dash, it's fine. I have to go to bed anyway. Call me tomorrow."

"Okay, and Al, I love you."

She mumbled her response and then hung up. He felt bad for her. But before he could dwell on his thoughts, Shipwreck spoke up. "Hey, guys, quiet. I think I hear something. Does anybody else hear that? It sounds like a horse being whipped. Oh, no, wait, I'm wrong. It's just Flint."

Despite himself, Flint laughed as he turned around. "'Wreck, I know you're just jealous, so I'm going to let that slide."

"Damn right I'm jealous. You know one of my life long dreams is to bang…"

"Shipwreck!" Duke cut him off before he could finish his train of thought.

* * *

The next morning Flint woke up with a groan. Despite the fact that he had his first uninterrupted sleep in nearly three weeks the drinks he had the previous night had given him what felt like the beginnings of a decent hangover. He climbed out of bed, took a couple of Advil, and picked up his phone. He had purposely set his alarm a few minutes early so he could check in with Alison and see how their first night alone went.

However, she didn't answer. Flint left a quick message and then brought the phone with him into the bathroom while he showered, in case she called back. As the time ticked away, Flint tried to keep his concern in check. There was a completely simple and reasonable explanation why she didn't answer – she was still asleep. But Flint couldn't help but envision much more tragic scenarios.

Right before leaving for OC, he tried one more time and he still got her voicemail. He forced himself not to worry as he made his way to the conference room. Anvil got right down to business as soon as Flint took his seat. He quickly recapped the previous couple of weeks. Flint learned that not much had progressed since the last time he talked to Hawk and Duke.

"We've been working with local police to backtrack the Dreadnoks actions," Anvil explained.

"I have an update on that," Falcon said. He skimmed through his notes. "The bartender at one of the nearby dives confirmed that a 'pink-haired biker chick' spent quite a few nights there. She mostly met with a man named Stephen Taylor, who we have confirmed was a contractor that worked on the Fort Meade Prison construction. However, one night she spent some time with an 'exotic dark-skinned woman'. The bartender remembered this meeting as he had hoped to see some 'hot girl-on-girl' action. So he was disappointed when the two left separately."

Duke frowned. "Just because they met up with a bar, doesn't mean anything. She could just be an old friend. And even if she is somehow connected to the outage, that description isn't a lot to go on."

"No, but luckily Spanky's has surveillance cameras. If we can capture an image, we can run her through the known watch lists. I've got Firewall going through the footage now," Falcon answered.

"Who?" Flint asked.

Anvil smiled. "I forgot that you haven't met our newest recruit, Michelle LaChance."

That was surprising news to Flint. "I thought the Joe team was under an incoming personnel freeze?"

"Technically, we still are. Michelle was busted for hacking into one too many US government web sites. Instead of sending her off to jail, someone had the bright idea to use her skills for good. The Jugglers don't completely trust her so they're using the excuse that we're a little light in the intelligence department to send her to us."

Flint's phone rang. He was relieved to see that it was Alison. Normally he wouldn't consider answering a personal phone call during OC, but he figured this was a time to make an exception. He excused himself, and went out into the hallway to answer. As soon as he heard Alison's voice he could tell something was wrong. "Alison, what happened?"

"Nothing. At least I think it's nothing. Marissa had a really bad night. She spit up twice during her overnight feedings and then cried the rest of the night. I couldn't tell if she was hungry or her stomach was hurting her, so I tried everything, but nothing worked."

"Should you take her to the doctor?"

"Supposedly not. I called them as soon as they opened, and a nurse talked to me. She said that an infant's digestive system is very sensitive, so she might just be reacting to something I ate. Or it could be a minor case of acid reflux, or a bad case of gas. She told me to keep an eye on her today, and if she still seems to be in pain, or vomits more forcefully than I should bring her in.

"As soon as I hung up the phone, she woke to eat and seems to be fine now. But I'm too keyed up and paranoid that I'm afraid to take my eyes off of her."

"She sounds like she's okay," Flint said trying to soothe her.

"I know that," Alison growled. "But that doesn't mean I'm going to stop staring at her."

"Maybe Lydia could come over and keep you company?"

Alison sighed. "I called her. But her youngest is sick, so she doesn't want to spread any germs to Marissa."

"I'm sorry, Al, I don't know what else I can do."

"Damn it Dash, I'm not asking you to do anything. Since I don't expect you to drop everything and fly back here to help me out, I'm just venting."

Flint didn't have a comeback. Instead he apologized again. And with an angry, 'I have to go' Alison hung up on him.

Flint went back into the conference room. Duke asked how Alison was doing, and Flint decided to be honest. "Terrible. Marissa was up all night with an upset stomach. Despite the doctor's office telling Alison that is normal, she's still worried that something is wrong. I'm sure the baby is fine, but since Alison is stressed out and overtired she's having a hard time believing that."

"Should I send Elaine over?" Anvil asked.

Flint considered the offer. He knew that Alison, would be irate at the idea of the general's wife just showing up. But Flint knew she needed the help, and he hoped she wouldn't be too stubborn to accept it. "I think that might be a good idea, if it's not too much of an inconvenience for her."

Anvil waved him off. "The boys are in school during the day, so she has the free time. Give me your address and let me just make the call."

Anvil walked over to the corner of the room. He kept his voice low so Flint couldn't hear the exact conversation, but based on how animated the general got, he could tell that Elaine was probably not as immediately acceptable to the idea. However, Anvil hung up and walked back over with a smile. "She just needs to wrap up a couple of things, but she'll head over before lunch."


	20. Chapter 20

Alison cringed when she heard the knock on the door. She was less than pleased when Flint told her that General Bradshaw's wife was going to be stopping by. She had started to express her displeasure to him, but she was yet again nursing Marissa and the baby didn't take kindly to the interruption in her meal. So with an angry promise to revisit the topic, she had hung up on him.

She opened the door and was momentarily stunned. She thought back to the conversation she, Flint and Scarlett had a few months prior regarding the general's wife. Scarlett had asked Flint once he had said he had seen a photo of her if she was part-troll. Alison had kept that image in her head ever since then. However, if the woman standing just outside her front door was indeed Mrs. Bradshaw, she was far from troll-like.

"Alison? I'm Elaine. Art asked me to come by?"

Alison quickly regained her composure. "Yes, of course, come in."

Elaine smiled. "I was afraid that maybe he didn't pass along the message that I was going to pay you a visit. He said Marissa was sick?"

"No, Dash told me you were coming. I think though, we may have over-exaggerated Marissa's condition. She spit up a couple of times, and it was a long night, but she seems fine now."

Elaine opened her arms. "Poor baby. Can I hold her?"

With a nod, Alison handed Marissa over and the two took a seat on the couch. They chatted about the nuances of early motherhood, and Elaine confirmed the pediatrician's advice. "I had to watch what I ate while I nursed my boys. The first one wasn't so bad but my younger had such a sensitive stomach. I couldn't eat anything with dairy, most fruits and vegetables and anything with the slightest spice or seasonings. I basically lived on bland chicken and white rice."

Alison grimaced. "I guess the Chinese food I ordered last night was a bad idea. It figures she inherited her father's stomach."

They continued to talk while Alison settled into the couch. Except for a few moments to use the bathroom or get dressed she had held Marissa all morning. Her neck and back were sore so it felt good to relax those muscles. Unfortunately, she became too comfortable and dozed off. She then woke with a start and apologized.

"Don't be silly. Why don't you go take a nap? I'll watch Marissa."

Alison was suddenly hit with the irrational fear that it was a mistake to leave her child with a woman she barely knew. She then took it a step further as she thought of the times in the past when the Baroness and Zarana had taken on a persona for nefarious purposes. Plus, kidnapping Flint's daughter would put the XO of the G.I. Joe team in a precarious position.

She decided to play along until she could confirm her suspicions. "Okay. I'm just going to take her into her room to nurse her a little, and then put her down for a nap." Still wanting to be polite, she gestured to the television. "Feel free to put on whatever you want."

Once she and Marissa were alone in the nursery, she dialed Flint's number. After he answered, she quietly asked, "You did say Elaine was going to be stopping by, right?"

"Yes. Why? Did she not show up?"

"No, she's here. I just want to confirm she is who she says she is."

Flint laughed. Even though Alison expected him to be skeptical, she still had to clamp down on her anger. "I know I sound crazy. But after Mindbender tortured you, and Destro essentially kidnapped me, does the idea of someone posing at the general's wife to get at Marissa sound so far-fetched?"

Flint went quiet. "Let me talk to Anvil. Where are you?"

"In the nursery with Marissa."

"Stay there until you I call you back."

Alison used the time to nurse Marissa, even though she wasn't yet asking to eat. She figured that if she had to make a quick getaway, that it was better for Marissa to be freshly fed. She started to make a list of essential items to grab if necessary when she heard a phone ring in the living room. She assumed General Bradshaw was checking in with his wife.

A few minutes later her phone rang again. Flint confirmed that Anvil spoke with his wife and that all was okay. "Are you sure?" Alison asked.

"I was with him when he called her. He used the excuse that he was filling out some paperwork for the military and asked her a bunch of questions. He said she got them all correct."

"And you believe him?"

"Of course I believe him," Flint said with a hint of frustration.

Alison sighed. "I'm sorry if I sound paranoid. But I'm sleep deprived and hormonal, so I'm not at the top of my game. But I'm talking about the safety and well-being of our daughter. So do you trust him?"

Without hesitation Flint said, "I do. I know you have your misgivings with him, but I know for a fact that he is not an evil man."

Alison relaxed. Flint was right that she had her issues with General Bradshaw. But she trusted her husband's judgment. "Okay. I guess it's time for me to stop hiding in the nursery."

"Call me once she leaves," Flint said before he hung up.

She got herself presentable, and rose to leave the room. The change in her schedule seemed to irritate Marissa. Alison did her best to comfort her, but once she erupted into a full-fledged wail she thought it was time to take advantage of the supposed mothering expertise currently sitting in her living room.

"I guess I was wrong about her being over her discomfort." Alison said.

Elaine reached for the baby and retook her seat on the couch. "One trick I learned is that when their tummies bother them, they like to lay on their stomach." She laid Marissa across her thighs and gently began to rub and pat her back. Marissa let out a series of small burps and settled down.

The simple gesture was enough to fully convince Alison that Flint was right about Elaine. She once again settled on to the couch. She turned her attention to the television where an early afternoon baseball game was on. "You can change it," Elaine said. "Since I live in a house full of males, I'm used to constantly having sports on the TV."

"No, it's fine. I hate daytime TV," Alison replied. And the announcers' voices were soothing to listen to. Soon, she was fast asleep on the couch.

When she woke again, she was disoriented. It took her a few moments to realize she had been asleep for nearly two hours. She looked to her left and Elaine and Marissa were still in the same positions. "I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to sleep for so long."

Marissa too woke up. Elaine gently handed her back to Alison. "Don't apologize. You must have needed it. Besides, this was nice for two reason. I can't tell you the last time I took a couple of hours to just sit and relax. And with the boys older now, I miss the days they used to sleep on me."

"I really appreciate it. I feel a lot better."

Elaine smiled and stood up. "I hate to say it, but I need to go. The boys will be home soon."

"Thank you for coming over." Alison said as she walked her to the door.

"Anytime. I mean it. Call whenever you want a break."

Once Elaine left, Alison kept her promise to call Flint. Her mood was greatly improved from their earlier conversations. She thanked him for not only sending Elaine over, but for humoring her through her paranoia.

"It sounds like you had a good time."

"To be honest, I spent most of it sleeping. But not only was it nice to take a much-needed nap, but it was good to know that someone who actually knew what she was doing was in charge for a couple of hours."

"Well, I'm glad I was able to help in a small way from so far away."

Once the conversation ended, she looked over at Marissa who was still content in her bouncy seat. Alison took advantage of that and dialed another number of someone she really wanted to talk to. As she glanced at the clock, she hoped it wasn't too early on the other side of the world. But based on how awake Scarlett sounded when she answered, she guessed it wasn't.

"So, how's my Goddaughter?"

Alison looked over again at Marissa and smiled. She was cooing and staring intently at her fists. "She has her moments, but I have to admit that right now she is pretty cute."

"I'm sure she's always cute."

"You wouldn't say that if you saw her shrieking her head off at 3 AM because of an overflowing diaper. Anyway, the reason I'm calling is I have to tell you who I spent the afternoon with - Elaine Bradshaw."

"I don't think I know who that is."

"She's General Bradshaw's wife."

Scarlett whistled. "Wow, I have managed to completely block that man from my mind. So does she have a hunchback?"

Alison laughed. "No. And that's why I had to talk to you. She's a very attractive woman. Maybe not on Courtney's level, but still really pretty. And she's nice! She can hold a conversation and gave me a lot of useful parenting tips."

"Did you ask her what she sees in the General?"

"I didn't think that was an appropriate question to ask while she was holding Marissa."

"Probably a good decision. So how's it going? You sound a little more coherent than when we last talked."

Alison had called Scarlett while she had still been in the hospital. She barely remembered that conversation. "That's only because I had a great nap while Elaine was here." Alison sighed. "I used to think that the Army and GI Joe has prepared me for anything that life could throw at me. Unfortunately, motherhood doesn't seem to be on that list."

"Maybe you need to ask Beachhead to include that as part of his training." Scarlett did a mimic of Beachhead's drawl, "You think you're tough because you ran 26 miles, did 500 pushups and made it through my obstacle course of doom. But up next is the ultimate challenge – diaper changing!"

Alison let out a hearty laugh. She envisioned many of the Joes struggling through the task, which only made her laugh harder. Once she got control of herself she said, "Oh man, I think I'm getting delirious."

"I'm going to guess Flint went back to HQ?"

"He flew back yesterday. That's what concerns me. He's only been gone a day and I'm already losing my mind."

"I'm sure it's going to get better. When do you go back to work?"

"Hawk's being pretty lenient and told me to take as much time as I need. But right now my goal is when she's six weeks old, which is only twenty-five days away."

Scarlett laughed. "Not that you're counting."

Alison looked over to Marissa again. Her fist was still keeping her entertained but she could see the signs that her daughter was getting hungry. "I'm just looking forward to the days when I get to interact with adults on a full-time basis. And doing more with my time than breastfeeding on command. I'm sure that sounds bad."

"No, it sounds like you need some company."

"I do. You want to move in with me for the next couple of weeks?" Alison meant for the question to come out as a light-hearted joke, but she was afraid it betrayed a bit of desperation.

Scarlett answered without hesitation. "I have a series of retreats coming up, but I could always postpone them."

Alison contemplated the offer. She thought about how nice it would be to hang out with Scarlett, how it would be like old times for them. But she knew it wasn't fair to ask her friend to put her life on hold and come running to her aid. "No, don't worry about it, I'll be fine."

"Are you sure? It really wouldn't be that big of a deal for me to rearrange my schedule."

"I am. But it means a lot that you would do that for me." Marissa let out a cry that signaled it was feeding time. "I have to go. The princess wants to eat."

"Okay. I'm going to try to book a trip to come visit you in the near future."

"That would be great," Alison said, but she was quickly being drowned out by Marissa's wail. "I'll talk to you soon."

Alison hung up the phone and walked over to Marissa's bouncy seat. As she bent over to pick up the infant she said, "Okay, baby girl, it looks like it's just you and me for the next few days. But it's nice to know we have backup if we need it."

* * *

Alison changed Marissa and then she put her in her crib. The baby fussed, but she closed the door behind her as she headed towards the kitchen. She could see the sun peeking through the blinds, and for the umpteenth time over the last few months, she wished she could make herself a cup of real coffee.

Instead, she settled for her standard cup of decaf tea, and sat down on the couch. It had been over a week since Flint left for Arizona, and she had to admit there had been a couple of times since then that she regretted not taking up Scarlett's offer. However, it hadn't been all bad. Marissa was thriving, and Alison had figured out a rudimentary schedule that for the first few days worked out well.

However, just when she thought she was getting the hang of things, Marissa threw her a curveball. There had been two nights in a row when Marissa slept for nearly five hours. Alison had hoped that meant she was on her way to sleeping through the night. But then on the third night, she reverted back to waking every two to three hours.

To make matters worse, Alison had been trying to wean Marissa on to a bottle in preparation for her return to work. To say the infant was resisting the change was an understatement. She felt like she had done nothing the last two days but listen to her daughter cry. At the moment, she could hear Marissa continue to fuss in her crib, but since she wasn't outright screaming, Alison decided it was better for both of them if she left her alone.

Her only shred of hope was that Flint could keep to his promise of coming home for the weekend. She looked at the clock and then did the time change calculation that had become second nature for her. It would still be classified as middle of the night there, and he was most likely sleeping. But after her last couple of nights, she really didn't care if she ended up sacrificing his sleep.

She dialed his number and a strange, young and definitely feminine voice answered. "Good early morning, Firewall here. This is Warrant Officer Flint Faireborn's, phone, can I help you?"

Alison brought her hand to her forehead. She didn't have the patience for this bullshit. "Firewall, was it? This is Mrs. Faireborn." She made sure to emphasize the 'Mrs.' part. "Is he available?"

"Oh, hi! How are you? Alison, right? Yes, Flint is here, he's just working on something. Let me get him. And I have to say I saw photos of Melissa, and she is just the cutest baby!"

Alison gritted her teeth. She _really_ couldn't handle this bullshit. "Her name is Marissa, but thank you."

Firewall sputtered out an apology, and luckily Flint got on the phone. "Wow, she's perky. Especially considering it's not quite 4 AM there." Alison said.

"Yes, she is very…enthusiastic," Flint said. "Duke's getting ready to take a team out, so we were doing some last-minute preps. Everything okay there?"

Alison sighed. "No," she admitted. "I've been trying to wean her onto a bottle since I need to get back to work in a couple of weeks. She barely ate, so she was up all night. I'm so tired. I could use a break, so I was just checking in to see if you got the weekend off."

This time Flint sighed, and Alison knew it wasn't going to be good news. "I don't think I'm going to be able to pull it off. With Duke away, I need to handle a few things here."

Alison expected as much, but she was still upset by the news. To further unhinge her, Marissa let out a blood curdling scream. "Dash, do me a favor, put the phone aside for a couple of minutes. I just need to vent."

She heard the rustling of the phone, and then she unleashed a torrent of her feelings. From the pain she was still in, to her exhaustion, to her feelings of helplessness when Marissa screamed, she ranted for a good minute. Once she was done, she inhaled and exhaled sharply until she had herself back in control. She brought the phone back to her ear. "Okay. I think I feel a little bit better."

"Alison, I had no idea. I am so sorry," Flint said.

"Dash, you weren't supposed to listen."

"I didn't at first. But after the third expletive you caught my attention. I knew it was hard on you, but I didn't realize how hard."

Alison suddenly became defensive. "Yes, but there are some good moments too." She noticed that Marissa had finally gone quiet. "I think she's asleep. I'm going to try and go back to sleep as well."

"I think that's a good idea. And Alison, I love you."

"I love you too. But before I go, please help soothe my mind and tell me you're not sleeping with Ms. Perky Firewall."

Flint denied the claim so adamantly that Alison couldn't help but laugh. "Why? Is she hideous looking?"

"No, not at all. She's actually pretty cute. But really not my type. And to be honest, even if I wanted to, I doubt she'd want me since I'm way too old for her."

Alison found that hard to believe, but as she let out a yawn she decided to save that for a later conversation. She hung up the phone, and then fell asleep right there on the couch.

* * *

Flint exhaled sharply as he hung up the phone. He hated not being able to help Alison. But unfortunately, his hands were tied.

"Everything okay back home?" Firewall asked.

He turned and smiled at the kid. "For the most part, yes. The baby isn't sleeping well, so Al is exhausted. She had hoped that I could come home this weekend, but I don't think that's going to happen."

"Ooh," Firewall said. "That stinks. You do realize Sunday is Mother's Day, right?"

"Damn!" Flint said. He slapped his hand on the table. That would explain why the general was so adamant that he was taking the weekend to go to DC.

"Well, the good news is you still have time to ship her a present. I suggest something really expensive."

Flint waved Firewall off as he reconsidered the weekend. He had a meeting first thing Saturday that he had to be present for. But after that, he could in theory put Falcon in charge, and then swear the whole base to secrecy that he was leaving. The good news was the general said he wasn't returning until Monday morning, so as long as he was back by late Sunday night, he should be fine. Calculating time differences and flight times, he figured he might be able to pull off almost twenty-four hours in DC.

He made a decision to try and put his plan in action. But he wasn't going to tell Alison about it. Not that he was looking to pull off a grand romantic gesture. He was just afraid that something was going to happen to derail his plan. And if that was the case, then it wasn't worth getting her hopes up.

* * *

Mid Saturday afternoon, the phone rang. Alison was happy to see it was Flint since she hadn't been able to talk to him since the early morning phone call a couple days prior. "Hey babe. I just wanted to make sure the flowers I sent you arrived."

Alison smiled. While it wasn't quite as good as a visit, she did appreciate the gesture. "No, not yet."

"That's weird. The florist said they were delivered. Do you think they left them on the front porch?"

"Hold on, let me check." Alison opened the front door and gasped. Standing there was Flint, holding a bouquet of red roses. She practically leapt into his arms.

"Happy Mother's Day Eve!" Flint said as he wrapped the arm not holding the flowers around her.

She pulled back and smiled. "I had no idea tomorrow was Mother's Day. What a nice surprise."

She led Flint into the house. He caught site of Marissa who way lying on a blanket on the floor. Grinning, he went over to her and picked her up. "Hey, baby girl. Daddy's home."

Alison watched the scene with a slight sense of guilt. Flint looked so happy to see Marissa, and the love he felt for her was written all over his face. She was fairly sure she had never looked at her daughter with that kind of happiness.

She shook off the negative thoughts and decided to take advantage of the opportunity that presented itself. "It's almost time for Marissa to eat. Do you want to try and feed her? She might take the bottle more willingly from you than me."

Flint's smile grew. "I would love to." Alison rose to prepare a bottle but Flint waved her off. "I assume bottles and formula are in the kitchen?" Once she said yes, he brought Marissa and her bouncy seat into the kitchen with him.

Alison's curiosity got the better of her, so she went over to sit at the dining room table to watch Flint in action. Once he noticed her, he smiled. "Checking up on me?"

"I didn't realize you were so adept at bottle making."

Flint shook the bottle and then tested the temperature. "Don't forget, I have five nephews that I have babysat on occasion." He reached for Marissa. "Your late afternoon meal is ready."

Alison took that as her cue to leave. Not only did she want remove Marissa's main source of food from the area, but she also didn't want to be a witness to the screaming frenzy she was sure was coming. She went into the bedroom fully prepared to rescue Flint once the feeding attempt went back.

However, the cries never came. Alison spent ten minutes watching the clock, listening for any signs of distress. She then quietly crept back into the living room. "She's almost done," Flint whispered.

Once again, Alison took a hit to her mothering pride. She hadn't been successful for days in trying to get Marissa to take a bottle, and Flint accomplished it on his first attempt. However, she again focused on the positives. Marissa did have the ability to bottle feed, so she could eventually return to work without worrying about the child going hungry while she was gone. And the more immediate benefit was that she was free to finally leave Marissa's side for a couple of hours.

That last thought made her realize she never asked Flint how long he was going to be in town. "Only until tomorrow afternoon," he replied once she did. "I'm sorry it's not longer, but I have to get back to HQ before Anvil returns."

Alison nodded as she contemplated her options. While she did want to spend some quality time with her husband, she knew she would be in a much better frame of mind to do so if she went off on her own to take care of the errands that had nagged at her the last couple of days.

"Do you mind if I run out for an hour or two? I have a list of items I need to get."

Flint looked momentarily disappointed, but he quickly recovered. "Not at all. I'm here to give you the break you need."

Alison jumped from the couch and went into the bedroom to change into something more presentable. When she returned she said, "I'll pick up for something for dinner, and for breakfast."

"Or we could do a Sunday brunch somewhere."

Alison had a vision of being in a packed restaurant trying to enjoy a mediocre buffet while Marissa screamed her head off. "I think I'd rather make something here. Since my diet is limited right now, it would be a waste to do something extravagant."

Flint walked over to her and wrapped his arms around her. He gave her a long lingering kiss. "Whatever you want to do. It is your day."

Alison reluctantly pulled away. "I won't be gone long."

She drove to a local shopping center, and as she parked the car she noticed a full-service salon a couple of doors down from the grocery store. She ran her hand through her more unruly than usual hair and decided to see if the place took walk-ins.

Unfortunately, they did not. "I'm sorry, but we have a full schedule until we close in a couple of hours," the receptionist said as she glanced at her book. "But I can make you an appointment for some time next week."

Alison sighed. "No, that's okay. I was just taking advantage of my husband watching our newborn. It's the first time I've gone out without her, and I'm not sure when I'll have the chance again."

The receptionist's attitude changed instantly. "Wow, congratulations. Hold on, let me see what I can do."

She walked over to one of the chairs to talk to the hairdresser that was working on a customer. "If you can wait about a half hour, Sally can take care of you. And if you're interested, I do have someone available for a pedicure to help pass the time."

It sounded like a great idea to Alison. She emerged over an hour later feeling and looking like a new person. She then quickly completed the list of items on her to-do list and returned home. As she approached the front door, she could hear the sounds of Marissa's wails from the street.

Flint greeted her at the door. His face looked pained as he rocked Marissa. "This started about five minutes ago. Do you think she's having a reaction to the formula?"

Alison put down the bags in her hand and grabbed Marissa. "No, this sounds like her standard colicky cry. Help me put the groceries away, and then we'll take her for a walk. That should calm her down."

The change of activity temporarily quieted Marissa. But Alison knew her daughter well enough to guess that she was only saving her breath for an even louder expression of her unhappiness. She was proven correct a short time later.

Flint grimaced. "How does someone so tiny make a noise that loud?"

Alison noticed that Flint no longer had the cool and calm demeanor from earlier. "Remember when she was first born, and let out the cutest little squawks when she was upset? I already miss those days. I have two more bags in the car. Can you get them while I get her ready?"

Flint looked grateful for the opportunity to escape. Alison couldn't help but smile. It was good to see that Flint wasn't the infallible parent she thought him to be. A few minutes later they had Marissa in the stroller and were making their way down the block. Marissa's cries slowly died down.

"I don't know if it's the motion or the fresh air, but so far this seems to work in soothing her colic."

They got to the end of the block and Alison pointed out the house on the corner. "I forgot to tell you. The other day when I took Marissa for a walk, we went to the little playground that's a couple of blocks away. I met a woman there, Barbara Matthews, who lives here. She's a semi-retired nanny who watches a little boy during the week. That family is moving next week so I asked her if she would be willing to watch Marissa until a spot opens up at the Pentagon daycare. She said yes."

Flint frowned. "Have you checked her out?"

"Of course I did. I not only spoke to the family she's currently working for, but she gave me a list of references. Everyone I called gave her a glowing review."

"But don't you think an accredited daycare is better?"

Alison's exhaled sharply. "You've been saying this whole time you don't like the idea of her being in a daycare with other, as you said, snot-nosed kids."

Flint raised his hand in a 'calm down' gesture. It had the opposite effect on Alison. "Since you seem to think you're the better parent here, how about you take her back with you. Then you can figure out the daycare situation."

Flint looked at her. "Do you mean that?"

While there was a small part of her that quickly grasped on to the idea of temporarily being free of mothering duties, she knew the suggestions was asinine. "Of course not. But until you move back here full time how about you hold off on the criticism?"

"I'm not criticizing your decisions. Weren't you concerned last week that Elaine was a Cobra plant looking to kidnap Marissa? So I find it a little suspicious you just happened upon a nanny who wants to watch Marissa."

Alison's shoulders slumped. "I might have overreacted then."

"I don't know. I still think it's a valid concern."

"Is this how our life is going to be from now on? We're paranoid that every new person we meet is a potential danger to Marissa?"

"There is a fine line between paranoia and caution," Flint replied.

Alison looked towards the house. She could see lights on in a couple of the windows. "How about if we see if she's home? You can meet her and tell me what you think."

They knocked on the door, and Barbara answered the door. She smiled as recognized Alison. "Come in, I was getting ready to make dinner."

"No, we don't want to intrude," Alison introduced Flint to her, "My husband is in town for the night, and I told him about our arrangement, so he wanted to meet you."

"Yes, of course. I know it's a big decision choosing someone to entrust with your pride and joy."

Flint proceeded to give the older woman a minor interrogation until Marissa let out a squawk. Alison grimaced. "I think the boss is getting unhappy that we aren't moving, so we should get going. Thank you for your time."

Once they started walking again, Alison asked Flint if he still had his reservations. "She did seem very knowledgeable and genuine. I can see why you like her. I think you're right and this time I'm overreacting. But I'm still going to ask Dial-Tone to run a background check on her."

Alison smiled. "Actually, I was going to ask him to do the same thing. Let's wait for his results before we make a final decision." She checked on Marissa. She wasn't quite asleep yet, so she knew they needed to walk for a little while longer. "So tell me about the latest happenings at HQ. You said that Duke was heading out on a mission?"

"Yes, he is. He's taken it upon himself to lead the charge to recapture Zartan."

"So does that mean he's fully recuperated?"

"He may think he is, but the rest of us are not so sure. Doc ran a complete physical on him, and technically he passed. But he suspects that Duke might not have been completely truthful about the pain he's still in."

Alison smirked. "Members of the Joe team being stubborn, or in denial about their injuries? Surely, you jest!"

Flint laughed. "Okay, I guess we're all guilty as charged."

They eventually returned back home. They attempted to make dinner, but Marissa woke up and cried a few minutes into the preparation. Alison fed her, and then the two took turns consoling her and getting her ready for bed while trying to eat some of their meal.

When Marissa finally fell asleep, Alison and Flint collapsed onto their couch. Flint put his arm around her. "I don't think I've told you this yet, but you're a great mom."

Despite her tiredness, Alison smiled. She leaned into her husband and thought that his simple statement was a perfect Mother's Day present.


	21. Chapter 21

The good feelings that Alison had after Flint's brief visit eroded by the end of the week. It had been a particularly brutal evening. Marissa had her four-week checkup earlier that day, and it seemed like the shots she had received had made her extra irritable. It was two hours past the infant's usual bed time, and Alison had finally gotten her settled down enough to go to sleep.

Unfortunately, Marissa had fallen asleep in her arms. She rose slowly from the rocking chair and gently put Marissa down in her crib. Since she still hadn't mastered the knack of transferring the sleeping infant to her crib, she held her breath and took a step back. All Alison wanted was an hour of peace so she could finally finish her dinner that had long since gone cold.

But even that was too much to ask. As she took the couple of steps towards the changing table, Marissa let out a shriek. Feeling she had crossed the breaking point she grabbed a wadded-up diaper, threw it against the wall and yelled at her daughter, "Damn it, Marissa, I don't know what you want!"

The crying stopped instantly. Her heart pounding in her chest, Alison turned from the crib to the spot on the floor where the diaper landed. She chastised herself as she realized she had totally lost her temper against her month-old daughter.

Marissa's cries started again, but this time instead of the wailing she had been engaged in, it was more of a pitiful whimper. Alison went towards the crib, but before she picked up Marissa, she stopped herself. There was a part of her that didn't totally trust herself with her daughter.

She tried to tell herself that she probably wasn't the first woman to snap during new motherhood. She also rationalized that she felt much better after her outburst and that Marissa needed her. She picked the baby up and brought her to her shoulder. As soon as she did, Marissa let out a very audible belch, and then finally relaxed.

Alison waited a few moments and then put her back down in her crib. She could tell by her daughter's breathing that she was finally asleep. It was a thought that should have made her happy, but instead she burst into tears. Having lost her appetite, she decided to just go to bed.

She fell asleep instantly, and for the first time in weeks, woke on her own accord. But then she sat up in a panic. She looked at the clock, and jumped out of the bed when she saw it was after 5AM. Marissa had been asleep for nearly seven hours.

She ran to her daughter's room while her mind raced through various of horrific options as to why Marissa hadn't woke up. As she threw open the door, she said a quick prayer that everything was okay. Breathing heavy, and her heart pounding in her chest, she slowly approached the crib. She was terrified about what she might find, and she strained her ears for any kinds of signs of life.

Dawn was just breaking so there was only a slight glow in the room. Alison peered into the crib, and she could barely see the outline of Marissa lying there. She couldn't make out any movement, which panicked her further. She brought her hand down to Marissa's chest, and when she touched her she was rewarded with the most beautiful sob she had ever heard from her daughter.

She scooped her into her arms. "Oh, Marissa, sweetie, thank God. How would I ever have been able to tell Dash if you," she didn't finish the train of thought. Instead she brought her to the rocking chair and began to feed her.

Alison's heart was still pounding, and she thought back to the time a few months prior when she thought she was having a miscarriage. She had berated herself for taking her pregnancy for granted, and she had promised that she would never do that again. But here she was, guilty of the same sin. She had spent the last four weeks miserable, bemoaning her life and the hardships involved in raising an infant alone. She even said some horrible things to her the night before. She had never stopped to consider what a blessing Marissa was to her.

The room had started to brighten, so she could see her daughter more clearly. Alison played with one of the brown curls above her ears. "Baby girl, if you ended up with my hair genes you're going to be fighting with it for the rest of your life."

She continued to study Marissa's features. It was amazing that even with all the time Alison had spent with her, she never took the time to really look at and appreciate her. "I think you have my nose. When you were first born, I thought you looked just like your daddy. But now, I think, you might be starting to look more like me."

Alison's heart rate finally went back to normal. Now that she was calm she could appreciate more the long rest Marissa had granted her. She felt like a real person again, and she was loving every bit of the bonding session she was having with her daughter.

"So, do you want to talk about a nickname? We weren't very nice to you in that regard. Ris? Rissa? Mare?" Marissa pulled off and let out a cry that made Alison laugh. "I agree. That last one is pretty bad." She switched the infant to her other breast. "It's okay if you don't want a nickname. I never did. I hated Allie, and just between us girls, I hated Al too. But then your father started calling me that, and it grew on me."

Marissa once again stopped eating. She looked up at Alison and flashed her a quick smile. Alison grinned at her in return, and then felt an overwhelming wave of love wash over her. She brought Marissa over her shoulder to burp her and once that was accomplished she hugged her tight. With tears streaming down her face, she said, "I love you Marissa."

* * *

Flint watched the scene playing out in front of him with a mixture of exasperation and amusement. One thing he learned the past few years was that Joes didn't handle boredom well. His current situation was no exception. He turned his attention back to his task at hand while he hoped that Alpine, Bazooka and Footloose didn't cause any serious damage.

He had led a team earlier that morning that included the three Joes along with Airtight, Mutt and Junkyard to investigate reports of suspicious activity in an abandoned cabin in Upstate New York. Flint hadn't been pleased with the assignment, since he had requested time off to visit Alison and Marissa. It was the last couple of days before Alison returned to work and he had hoped to take advantage of the end of her time off. However, Anvil insisted that it was his turn in the rotation and he hadn't been in the field since the day of the blackout. The general then promised that he would be granted leave as soon as he returned.

They had arrived at the cabin in a pre-dawn hour, and had cleared the scene as the first hint of light shown in the sky. While it was obvious that the cabin had not been lived in in some time, it was being used as a storage facility for a number of interesting and potentially deadly equipment and gadgets.

Flint had doled out assignments. "Mutt, take Junkyard around the grounds to see if there's a hidden cache of weapons or other goodies outside. Airtight, I want you to run some quick tests on that collection of chemicals we found in the back room. The rest of us will start cataloguing all of the items in here until I call in the local authorities."

About ten minutes after they had started their tasks, Alpine, Bazooka and Footloose became distracted by an imposing piece of equipment stationed by the front door.

"What do you think it does?" Footloose asked.

Bazooka carefully opened an inner compartment and whistled when he saw what was inside. "It's full of spears."

Alpine leaned over and said, "It's a good thing it was broken or we would have ended up as Joe Shish-Ka-Bobs."

Bazooka tinkered away at the contraption for a few moments. "It's not broken. It was turned off." To prove his point, he waved his hand in front of the door until the machine activated. With a twang, one of the spears shot out of the machine and bounced off of the opposite wall.

Flint and the other two Joes gasped. Alpine pulled Bazooka back. "Are you trying to get yourself killed?"

Bazooka walked over to where the fallen spear ended up at the floor. He then made a show of stabbing himself. "They are only plastic."

That caught Flint's attention. He went over to the contraption, and freed another spear from the inner workings. He confirmed that it was a hollow spear replica. "What the hell is going on in here?"

"That's the question I've been asking myself the last fifteen minutes," Airtight said as he entered the room. "I can't get a clear reading on any of these chemicals."

"Do you need to take it back to your lab at Joe HQ?" Flint asked.

"I will to double check my findings, but I don't think it's necessary. Every container here is labeled in a way to indicate that it holds a deadly chemical. But my analysis shows that either it is an extremely mild derivative, or it holds such a minute quantity of the dangerous components to make it non-toxic. You could drink all of these, and probably not even end up with an upset stomach."

"Let's not test that theory," Flint cautioned. He removed his beret to run his hand through his hair. It was a reflexive motion that helped sort his thoughts. "From what we're seeing is that everything in this cabin is an imitation of a dangerous object but is essentially harmless."

"It looks that way," Airtight said with a nod.

"Maybe somebody wants to get a really early start on a Halloween haunted house?" Alpine suggested.

Footloose called Flint over. "Check out the return address on this shipping crate."

"Arbco," Flint said once he read it. "Or Cobra spelled sideways."

Alpine joined Flint's side and shook his head. "So Cobra is now in the terrorist gag gift market?"

"I don't know what to make of this place." Flint said. He couldn't help but be reminded of the Cobra Fun House, he and most of the other Joes currently in the cabin had experienced. However, that had been far from harmless. He became lost in his memories of that mission. His fear for Lady Jaye once she had been knocked out by a robotic Cobra Commander, his narrow escape from the island, and their post-mission walk where they showed each other how grateful they were that they both survived the mission. All the thoughts made him miss his wife even more.

Mutt returned with Junkyard, bringing Flint back to the present. "It's all clear outside."

Flint nodded. "Okay. I think it's safe to call in the cops, since our job is done here. But I want the tech geeks to do some research into Arbco and who owns this place. Maybe that'll help us uncover the answers."

A few hours later, Flint had finished his turnover report with the chief of police. He radioed Lift-Ticket for a pick-up once he was done, and the Joes made their way to the LZ. A short time later the Tomahawk landed. Flint took the front passenger seat and Lift-Ticket turned to him with a frown on his face. "I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but my bird's temporarily grounded. While doing the pre-flight check I noticed one of the coolant pumps was running in the red. It's okay for short trips, but I don't trust it to get us back to HQ. And of course, since it's Friday afternoon, and the Army being too cheap to pay for Saturday delivery, the replacement is not going to arrive until Monday morning. I already ran this by Duke and Anvil, and basically, we all have a weekend pass to spend in Albany."

Flint cursed out loud. But then he realized he still had been granted his time off. As long as he could find a way to and from DC, he might still be able to salvage his weekend with Alison and Marissa. From the back of the Tomahawk, the Joes began to make requests on where they wanted to be dropped off, until Lift-Ticket waved his hands in frustration. "I'm not a taxi service, especially with a wounded bird. I need to take her to Sarasota Springs to wait on a repair. On the way there, I can make a stop at the Albany airport, but that's it."

It worked out perfectly for Flint. Once Lift-Ticket landed on the tarmac at the Albany airport, he jumped off along with Alpine, Bazooka, Airtight and Footloose. "Mutt, are you coming?" Alpine asked.

"Nah," he replied as he rubbed Junkyard's head. "With Junk here, it'll be easier to stay on base."

They walked over to the main entrance of the airport. "I'm going to check out flights to DC," Flint admitted.

"Give Alison and the baby a kiss from me," Alpine said. He looked towards Bazooka and Airtight. "We're going to take a bus into downtown."

"Okay, just stay out of trouble," Flint cautioned. Once the three left, Flint noticed Footloose was checking out the departing flights as well. "Going home?" Flint asked.

"Not home-home, but thinking about hitting up my second home," Footloose said. "I'm wondering if I have enough time to catch some waves in Malibu."

Flint made a command decision. "Do it. I'll tell Anvil and Duke that I okayed you to take a few days of leave. Head back to HQ before the end of the week."

Footloose's face broke into a huge grin. "Aw, man that's awesome. Thank you."

Flint booked the next flight to DC. Once he was at the gate, he called Alison to tell her he was coming into town. "I'll take a cab once I get to the airport," he said.

"We can come pick you up if it's not too late. What time do you land?"

After Flint told her she paused. "Wow, that's an awfully quick flight from Phoenix."

"Actually, I'm a little more local. I'll tell you about it later."

"Okay. See you soon."

Flint then called HQ. Luckily, Duke and Anvil were in a meeting, so he did a brief recap with Breaker regarding the mission summary, and the Joes' plans for the weekend. He then turned off his phone before he boarded the plane.

It was a quick and uneventful flight. After he landed, he turned his phone back on. He listened to a very irate message from Duke as he made his way outside. Duke ended the tirade by telling him to call as soon as he was back on the ground. He debated doing so, but then he saw Alison's car pull up.

Alison gave him a kiss as he got into the car. "So how did you finally manage to escape? The way you were talking yesterday, I didn't hold out a lot of hope that you were going to be able to come home."

"Let's just say I'm taking advantage of a weekend pass. I'm sure they'll be hell to pay when I get back on Monday, but I'll deal with it then. I don't care. I missed my girls too much." Flint turned around and maneuvered himself to give Marissa a kiss on her head.

"And we missed you," Alison said. "You'll be happy to know that I had my six-week post-partum checkup. I've been clear to resume all normal activities."

That got Flint's attention. " _All_ activities?"

"Yep," Alison said with a grin. "All of them." She emphasized her point by running her hand up his leg. Flint was now very happy that he blew Duke off.

However, the payback came sooner than expected. As they were pulling up in front of their house, Flint's phone rang. It was Duke again, whose mood hadn't improved in the previous few hours. "The last time I checked, Washington DC wasn't a suburb of Albany."

Flint moved the phone away from his ear and turned towards Alison. "I'm sorry, I have to deal with this. I'll be done as soon as I can."

"Okay, I'll put her to bed," Alison said. She then kissed him long and hard that sent shock waves to his groin. He briefly thought about "accidentally" hanging up, consequences be damned, but he figured that would probably send Duke into an aneurism.

Instead he took a deep breath and returned to the conversation. "I was told I could take time when the mission was done. Once I was granted leave I figured it wouldn't matter if I spent the weekend twiddling my thumbs in Sarasota Springs, or using it to visit my family. We don't normally ask for itineraries when we hand out weekend passes." Flint countered.

"I know. And that's the only reason I didn't consider reporting you as AWOL." Duke sighed. "Flint, I appreciate the desire to spend time with Alison and Marissa. But between the disappearing act you pulled a couple of weeks ago, and now this, you're skating on thin ice. You're lucky Anvil isn't aware of these stunts, but you can't expect me to keep covering for you."

It was a familiar argument that Flint didn't want to rehash. "I'm sorry. It won't happen again."

Duke exhaled sharply. "I doubt that. And you better make sure you are back in Sarasota Springs by the time Lift-Ticket is ready to return."

Flint figured the conversation was over, but Duke continued. "Look, I wasn't calling just to bust your balls. Anvil wanted a turnover report, even if it was only a verbal one done over the phone. I'd like to get it done tonight, if you could take some time out of your busy schedule."

Flint looked down the hallway where he could hear the sounds of Alison in the nursery. He wanted to help her, but he knew that he also needed to appease Duke. He grabbed a pen and a pad of paper, and then sat at the dining room table. He took notes while he recapped and discussed the mission with Duke.

He hung up the phone when they were done, and was surprised to see that nearly an hour had passed. Finally free, he raced into the bedroom where he found that Alison was already asleep. He made some noise in the hopes that she would wake up, but she appeared to be deep asleep. Sighing, he too decided to go to bed. It had been a very early morning for him, and he was tired. Flint consoled himself by thinking that he could survive one more sexless night. Plus now he had time to plan out a romantic morning for her. He would start by surprising her with breakfast in bed.

However, it quickly became clear to him that his plans were not going to come to fruition. Life with an infant definitely put a crimp on any romance. Marissa cried at 1:30 AM and even though Flint wasn't fully awake he volunteered to give her a bottle.

"Not yet, sometimes she goes back to sleep on her own," Alison advised.

Marissa did stop for a few minutes, but then her cries began again in earnest. Alison nodded, and Flint got up to feed her. Once he was done, he crawled back into bed. He had just fallen asleep when he heard the cries from the infant again.

"My turn," Alison said sleepily. She returned fifteen minutes later. "Unfortunately, you didn't put her diaper on tight enough. She was soaked."

"I'm sorry," Flint said.

"It's not your fault. She's between sizes so it happens a lot," Alison said. Flint pulled her into his arms. "I'm sorry I fell asleep on you earlier. I should have warned you that once I hit the bed, I'm usually asleep within seconds."

"It's okay," Flint said as he nuzzled her neck. He briefly considered taking advantage of the fact that both were awake, but Alison's snores put an end to that idea.

Flint fell asleep again and the next wake-up call seemed to come only a few minutes later. But when he rolled over he saw that three hours had passed and despite the fact he was still tired, it was officially morning. "I thought you said she sleeps through the night now," he said grumpily.

"Actually, I said she slept through a night. This is typical."

"Do you want me to give her another bottle?"

"No, I want to nurse her. Can you bring her to me?"

Flint did as he was told. When she was done, Alison went to get up, but he told her to lay in bed, and he would take care of changing Marissa. This time he double-checked the diaper. Marissa looked happy and content, but he wasn't sure what to do with her. He took her back to the bedroom where Alison had dozed off again. Not wanting to wake her, he took the baby into the living room. He placed the baby in her mini lounge chair. She seemed happy with the choice. He turned the TV on low, put on a news station and then laid on the couch. He kept his eye on Marissa who was kicking and entertaining herself until he fell asleep.

He was awoken a short time later by a kiss from Alison. "Thanks for staying with her. I needed that extra little bit of sleep."

Flint felt like he could still use another few hours, but he got up. "I'll make breakfast."

"No, that's okay, I got it. Although you may need to relieve me when she wants hers."

Once all three had eaten, Alison asked him to watch Marissa while she got into the shower. He did for a little while until the idea of his wife naked in the shower became too much to ignore. Marissa was starting to doze off, so he put her in the crib. He then stripped down, and joined Alison in the shower.

Her reaction was not exactly what he was expecting. "Dash, where's Marissa?"

"She's fine. She's sleeping in her crib," he said. He leaned in and started to kiss her on her neck.

Alison pulled away. "Did you bring the monitor in at least?"

"No. I thought she'd be okay for a few minutes. I'd figured you do the same thing when you're here alone."

"Actually, I've always brought her in the bathroom to hang out in her chair while I shower. I don't like the idea of her alone out there when I can't hear her."

Flint was shocked by that revelation. "Wow, I had no idea."

"I'm sorry, I know what you want, and believe me I want it too. But I can't do it like this when I'm afraid Marissa is screaming her head off in the next room."

Flint nodded. "Okay, I'll wait for you out in the bedroom." He dried off, and climbed into their bed. He spent the next few minutes praying that Marissa would continue to sleep. He was rewarded, and when Alison finished her shower and climbed into bed with him, Marissa was still quiet. Flint decided to not waste any more time.

Once it was over, with a post-orgasmic grin on his face, Flint asked. "How was it?"

"It was okay," Alison answered.

He was a little surprised at her honesty. "Just okay?" he asked. He couldn't remember the last time he had gotten such a mediocre review.

She gave him a kiss. "Don't get me wrong, it was nice being able to connect with you in this way again, but the fireworks just weren't there. I think it's going to take me a while to get back to normal."

Flint couldn't help but feel disappointed. But he shook the feeling off. "What do you want to do today?"

Alison stood up and got dressed. "It's supposed to be beautiful out. How about we take Marissa on her first tour of the monuments?"

They had a nice day together. It took a while to get Marissa ready, and all of her items packed, but they finally got out the door close to noon time. As he pushed Marissa's stroller around the National Mall, and chatted with Alison, Flint smiled as he realized he was having a 'normal' afternoon. They stopped for a late lunch at an outdoor café and then headed back to the house. Flint drove back, lost in thought, and he realized he hadn't given a second thought to Duke and HQ.

But what was continuing to nag him was Alison's response to their morning's lovemaking. Deep down he knew it was normal, and he had watched enough stand-up comics and sitcoms to know that sex after kids was never the same. But he had still been naïve enough to think they would buck the odds.

Plus he had always prided himself on being a considerate lover, so the act that she admitted to getting very little enjoyment out of that morning's act was eating at him. She had been so busy and dedicated to raising Marissa the last few weeks, that she deserved a few minutes of pleasure. So he was determined to try again to see if he achieved a better result the second time around.

But once again, the reality of life with a newborn reared its ugly head. Marissa's colic didn't seem to be as bad as his last visit, but it still took what felt like an extraordinary amount of work to get the three of them fed, and Marissa bathed, dressed and ready for bed.

Flint put his arm around Alison after they closed the door to the nursery. "Do you want a glass of wine?"

She nodded. "I'll take a half a glass. Unless you're offering to handle the first feeding again."

"I can do that," Flint said with a smile and a kiss.

"Okay. Then make it a full glass."

Flint opened a new bottle and then poured two glasses. They clinked them together as they took a seat on the couch. Alison settled against his chest and he wrapped his arm around her. "Are you ready to go back to work?" Flint asked.

"I think so. It's funny that a month ago I was counting down the minutes until I could return. Now? I'm more conflicted. I feel like I finally got into a rhythm here and I know I'm going to miss her during the day. So whenever I do get excited about returning to work, I feel guilty."

"Believe me, I know the feeling."

"I am looking to get back in touch with the real world. I feel like I've been living in a bubble. Speaking of that, you never told me where you were yesterday."

The last thing Flint wanted to do was to start talking about the Joes and Cobra and the events of the last few weeks. However, he knew not answering the question would only rouse her curiosity further so her kept to a simple answer. "Just outside of Albany. It was nothing really exciting though. Just a fact-finding mission that yielded little facts."

Alison nodded as she tried to stifle a yawn. Flint noticed their glasses were nearly empty, so he decided to attempt a second round of love-making.

However, Alison quickly put a stop to his plans. "Dash, don't take this the wrong way, but I'd rather be hooked up to one of Cobra Commander's torture devices than have sex right now."

That definitely put a halt on his libido. "I don't think there's a right way to take that statement."

"I know, I'm sorry, that was mean. It's just that I'm exhausted and a little bit sore from this morning."

Now Flint felt even worse. "I'm sorry. And I don't want you to do anything you don't want to do. I'm just trying to make up for my performance this morning."

"What are you talking about? There was nothing wrong with what happened."

"But you said you didn't enjoy it."

"That's not true. I may not have had a mind-blowing orgasm, but I loved being able to experience that with you again. And I liked making you happy."

"That's the point, I want to do the same for you. You've done so much for Marissa, all on your own, that I wanted to give you a few minutes of pleasure."

"Dash, the world's greatest lover could have come in here with a suitcase full of special toys, and I still wouldn't have had a different reaction. And that's okay for me right now. Maybe once Marissa is older and she isn't so needy, I'll feel differently."

As the two rose from the couch to go to bed, Flint hoped that would be the case.


	22. Chapter 22

Once Alison was through Pentagon security, she checked her watch and was pleasantly surprised to see that she still had a few minutes before she needed to be at her desk. She ducked into the nearest ladies' room, and stopped to check her appearance in front of one of the mirrors. With the hectic morning leading to her dashing out of the house, she wanted to make sure she didn't have any kind of wardrobe malfunction.

Satisfied that all was as well as could be, she took a few deep breaths to try and calm herself down. Her first attempt at getting Marissa and herself ready before work did not go as smoothly as she had hoped. Luckily, Flint had still been there to lend an extra hand when Marissa had spit up on the first outfit she had been dressed in. But the fact that he had returned to the Joe team and wasn't going to be there for the second day had her slightly concerned. She consoled herself with the idea that the first day was probably the hardest and that it was going to be easier going forward. To reaffirm the thought, she nodded to herself. And then promptly burst into tears.

She gave herself an internal pep talk to try and snap herself out of the sudden sadness. She had dealt with enough of the violent mood swings to know that the action was useless, that she just needed to let the emotion play out and she would be back to normal in a few moments. As expected, the feeling passed and just as suddenly she felt in control again.

Alison washed her face with cold water and reapplied her makeup. Before she exited the rest room, she debated checking in with Mrs. Matthews. But she decided not to. It had only been less than an hour since she dropped Marissa off, so she was fairly sure her daughter was fine. If she wasn't, she knew Mrs. Matthews would have called her. And in her current fragile emotional state she knew she would use any slight excuse to postpone her first day back.

She entered Hawk's office, and was surprised to be greeted by a cheer and a round of applause from Hawk, Beachhead, Stalker and Richard. As she hugged each man who welcomed her back, she once again felt the threat of oncoming tears but was able to keep them at bay.

"So, what's hot?" Alison asked as she settled in to her desk.

Richard and Hawk spent nearly forty-five minutes recapping the last few weeks. Alison was grateful for the refresher course, because as she had told Flint, she felt like she had been living in a bubble since Marissa's birth. She had watched the occasional news report, but it was good to get caught up in what was happening locally, nationally and worldwide.

"It's funny how the media has been reporting that the blackout was due to aging equipment. And that a senate subcommittee had been formed to look into whether there were any negligent actions on the utilities' part."

Richard nodded. "That is an example of our government's efficient use of smoke and mirrors to mislead the public. What's genius is that it is a nugget of truth surrounded by the cloak of lies. Yes, it was outdated equipment that had been in need of replacement. And yes, there is a subcommittee taking a look at things. But what they aren't reporting is that someone sabotaged the equipment. The affected utilities are all too willing to play along, as not only do they have to admit they haven't been keeping up with maintenance, but their security is questionable as well. So as long as they play along, the government gives them a public slap on the wrist while they slip them a few dollars for upgrades on the sly."

Alison nodded as well. It wouldn't be the first time the media kept facts from the public. Most of the major news outlets had done a fantastic job of covering up some of Cobra's outrageous schemes in the interest of preventing a mass hysteria.

"I'm going to guess that the top priority right now is finding out who was the real culprit," Alison said as she glanced through her notes. "Since we're all in agreement that the Dreadnoks couldn't have done it on their own. I'm going to assume Cobra is off the list?"

"That was true until a couple of days ago when the Joes stumbled upon Arbco," Richard said.

Alison furrowed her brow. "Who or what is Arbco?"

"That is the new question the Jugglers want answered," Hawk replied. "Give Joe HQ a call, as they started the legwork over the weekend. I'm surprised Flint hadn't mentioned any of this to you, since he was the one that led the mission."

Alison smiled. "He kept the details purposely vague. I think he didn't want me getting sidetracked by work matters. I'll try and catch him before he heads back to HQ, and then I'll give the guys over there a call to see what they've uncovered."

She was able to talk to Flint before he boarded the plane. After recapping their mission to the cabin he said, "I have a small confession to make. Before I went to the airport, I paid Mrs. Matthews a visit. I wanted to make sure Marissa was doing okay."

"Was she?"

"She was fine. And Mrs. Matthews didn't seem like she was in the process of running off with her. I hung out for a few minutes and then left. If Marissa had shown of signs of distress, I was going to delay my return to HQ."

"Wouldn't there have been hell to pay if you did?"

"Yeah, probably. But I wanted to make sure you had a stress-free as possible first day back."

Alison smiled. She swallowed against the lump that formed in her throat. "Thank you, I really appreciate that."

"It's the least I can do since I haven't been pulling my fair share of the parenting duty." Flint paused as an announcement was made in the background. "I have to go, my plane is boarding."

"Okay. Have a safe flight, and I love you."

"I love you too."

Alison hung up the phone. She needed a few moments to compose herself before she made her next phone call. She wiped at the wetness under her eyes and blew her nose, and then she picked up the phone.

Talking to HQ helped get her mind off of how much she missed Flint and Marissa. Breaker was the first in a long line of Joes that wanted to congratulate her and talk about Marissa. Eventually she was transferred to Falcon who read her Chuckles' latest report. "I know it's not much and it leads to a dead end, but our resources here have been strapped. The Jugglers have been putting on the pressure that if we want to stay a functioning team, then we need to keep better tabs on the former members of Cobra."

"I understand and that's why I'm here. Send me what you have, and let me know if there is anything you need me to look into from this end. I'll check in with you tomorrow and we'll compare notes."

She hung up the phone and then turned her attention to her computer. She printed all of the documentation that Falcon sent her, and began to read through her emails. There were several reports that required her attention that she printed as well. Once it hit midmorning, she decided it was time to take care of the one activity she had been dreading, pumping. To avoid any kind of awkward conversation in the office, she had already cleared those break times with Hawk when she had spoken to him the previous week about her return. Luckily, he okayed it without wanting to know a lot of the details. With a nod to Hawk, Alison gathered up the printouts, grabbed the bag she brought from home, and headed down the hallway to one of the small empty offices.

Alison locked the door behind her, and settled into one of the chairs. Having plenty of reading material helped pass the time. She still didn't find it the most pleasant experience, but whatever she collected would be given to Mrs. Matthews for one of Marissa's meals during the day.

Once she was done she cleaned up, repacked the equipment, and then headed to the kitchen near her office to put the bags in the refrigerator. On her way back to her office, she caught a glimpse of the one man she was not looking forward to seeing again, General Cavanaugh. She debated darting into a nearby office to avoid him, but she quickly dismissed the idea. She no longer had the handicap of an advanced pregnancy hindering her actions.

"Alison, right? I heard you returned from your maternity leave," General Cavanaugh said with a leering smile. "Welcome back. You look good."

Alison bit back a few choice remarks and instead settled on a "Thank you," said as cordially as possible.

"So I guess you've decided against staying home with the little one?"

Alison mentally added the phrase 'where you belong' to the end of his statement. It helped fuel her anger. "General, I don't think it's appropriate the interest that you've taken in my personal life. And I certainly don't appreciate your tone or the misogynistic comments that you insist on making. I may have given you the impression that you scare me, but that was only because my priority was the well-being of my unborn daughter. But since that is no longer a concern, I'm going to kindly ask you to knock it off."

She turned to continue the walk to her office, but she stopped. "And don't make me ask you twice." When she turned around a second time she couldn't help the grin that formed on her face.

The rest of the day passed quickly. It took Alison until the end of her lunch hour spent at her desk to finish going through her e-mail. Once that was done, she rewarded herself with a phone call to Mrs. Matthews who assured her that Marissa was still doing well.

She dove into the Arbco mystery after lunch. It became clear early on why Chuckles and Falcon had determined it to be a dead end. The address on the return label was obviously a fake as it belonged to a vacant piece of land in a small town in Ohio. Chuckles had pulled their initial business application, but the address listed was a post office box in the same small town. A quick phone call confirmed that the box was still active, however the supervisor on site confirmed that they didn't keep records on how often it was accessed.

At that point she decided to switch tactics. She had a feeling that if someone was trying to hide illegal dealings, that Arbco wouldn't be the only dummy corporation formed. The business application hadn't listed any parent or brother-sister corporations, so she had to do it the hard way. At first she thought about going through every new application submitted in the same time and area as the Arbco one, and then working her way out from there. But the shear volume of potential applications overwhelmed her so she once again went with a hunch.

Near the end of the day she started looking up other acronyms of Cobra. She had found two others, Broca and Carbo when it was time to call it quits. She first summed up her findings with Richard and then to Hawk who commended her on a good first day back before he dismissed her.

After fighting what seemed like worse than normal traffic, she pulled in front of her house. She then quickly walked to Mrs. Matthews home. Once she was through the door she reached for Marissa who rewarded her with a smile.

"We had a good day," Mrs. Matthews said as she helped to collect Marissa's belongings. She ran through the list of Marissa's feedings and other bodily function of the day, which all sounded normal to Alison. She then went home.

As soon as they were through the door, Marissa's mood soured. Alison's biggest fear of returning to work was having the energy in the evening to deal with Marissa's colic and other issues. But she found herself in a much better frame of mind to handle it. She fed Marissa, and then made herself a quick meal. She didn't even mind that she had to eat it while rocking her weeping daughter as she stood in the kitchen. That led to bath time which calmed Marissa down. After her last feeding she put Marissa to bed.

Alison decided it was also her bedtime. She made a quick phone call to Flint to confirm he had arrived at HQ safely. She then climbed into bed, exhausted but happy.

* * *

Alison had hoped that after a couple of weeks, she would have had a better handle on the morning routine. But yet again, she was running late. That morning's undoing had been a diaper blowout as they were getting ready to walk out the door. Which meant she had practically thrown Marissa and her things at Mrs. Matthews before she left for work.

She was especially stressed because she had a meeting with several of the Jugglers to discuss her findings on Arbco and the other dummy corporations. She wanted to make a few last-minute tweaks to her presentation.

As she made her way down the D Ring, she was deep in thought and paying little attention to the people around her until she heard a familiar voice call her name. She stopped, turned and then smiled at the friend she hadn't seen for months. "Ron? What are you doing here?"

Ron Michaels laughed. "I was going to ask you the same thing. I'm here for a planning session. We have a training exercise in a couple of weeks."

"Mine is a longer story," Alison said as she looked at her watch. "And unfortunately, I don't have the time to go into it now. Are you going to be around for a few days?"

"I'm heading back tomorrow afternoon, but I am free tonight."

"Great. Come to my place, we'll have dinner. Do you still have the same phone number?" Once Ron nodded, she told him she would call him. She then resumed her walk to her office happy with the idea of the impromptu evening plans.

After saying good morning to Hawk, he informed her that the briefing had been pushed back by a half hour. That gave Alison a chance to calm down, have a leisurely cup of coffee and make the needed changes to her presentation.

Once she was ready, she walked with Hawk to the large conference room. "I'm sure you're well aware by now how difficult the Jugglers can be. But try not to let them fluster you."

"Don't worry they won't," Alison said. However, her confidence quickly eroded when General Ryan, the current leader of the Jugglers, who was also the man that derailed Flint's Action Force arguments a few months prior announced that they were cutting the scheduled length of the briefing in half.

Alison kept her composure, and not wanting to waste any time dived into a shorter, quicker version of the presentation she prepared. "Two and a half weeks ago, the Joe team discovered a cabin in Upstate New York that was home to a variety of potentially dangerous and unusual items. It was tied to a company called Arbco. Naturally, the Cobra acronym caught our attention. With help from the intelligence department of the Joe team we researched the history and ownership of Arbco. Its business license was granted about two months ago, under the general heading of retailer. The business owner listed seems to be an ordinary citizen, with no obvious ties to Cobra.

"Under a hunch I tried different variations on the word 'Cobra'. I found a half dozen other corporations. Broca, Carbo, Orbac, Robac, Arboc, and Borac. All are retailers. One specializes in farming needs such as fertilizers, another is a chemical supplier, another small containers including pressure cookers, etc. All basic everyday items that could be used for nefarious purposes. But what was really concerning is that these companies formed at essentially the same time, and all within a couple of days of the blackout."

General Ryan raised his hand. "I heard enough. It's obvious this is all connected to Cobra."

"No, sir, let me finish. I'm afraid that it's too obvious. I think somebody went to a lot of trouble to make us think Cobra is behind this."

General Ryan leaned over and whispered to General Cavanaugh. General Dyson also joined the conversation. Once they were done General Ryan nodded and turned his attention back to Alison. "To be honest, we don't care if it's Cobra or some other budding terrorist group. Somebody is up to no good, and we want to find out who it is. General Abernathy, get Bradshaw on the horn and tell him to be prepared to send a few teams out to figure out what the hell is going on."

"But General, that may be exactly what this mystery group wants us to do. We could be sending the Joes into a trap."

General Ryan smiled. "Your concern is noted. However, we give G.I. Joe a lot of money to be an elite fighting force. Make a list of the potential threats, and tell them to watch their six."

The Jugglers stood up, abruptly ending the briefing. Once they were gone, Hawk patted her shoulder. "You did good."

Alison scoffed. "No I didn't. They didn't listen to a word I said."

"Sure they did. They acknowledged there is a new threat. And they want to send the Joes in, so to me it's a double win."

Alison knew that Hawk was right, but she still couldn't help shake the feeling that they were being set up. Hawk seemed to read her mind. "I'm not going to send them in blind. The one thing General Ryan is correct about is that the Joes are an elite fighting force. They'll be fine as long as they have all the information."

Alison instantly felt better. She knew Hawk would make sure that the Joes were prepared. Plus, she had her own direct line to a member of the command staff that she utilized as soon as she returned to her office.

"Don't worry about us," Flint said once she finished recapping the briefing and her fears. "We'll be fine. Even if this is all an elaborate Cobra-like trap, we've dealt with it before."

"You're right, I'm probably overreacting. It's just a lot harder calling the shots from the sidelines."

"I know. But I'm glad you have my back."

Alison hung up the phone shortly thereafter and before she returned to her work she took a quick trip through her memories. She was reminded of one of the times that she was a captive audience on base while Flint had led a team to Las Vegas to put a stop to Cobra's telethon scheme. Hawk had been stationed on the Joe base for a number of months at that point, and Lady Jaye had paid him a visit in his office to surreptitiously get an update on Flint's mission. Whatever excuse she had planned on using was forgotten as she entered Hawk's office and caught the end of Flint's transmission that the team was in trouble.

She stood by Hawk's desk as he then called Mainframe to get an update on his status. While Mainframe reported in, Hawk waved to an empty chair for Lady Jaye to take a seat. She knew her worry for Flint was obvious, and she had been afraid that Hawk was finally going to call her on the illegal affair he had to have known they were having. But instead, once he finished his conversation with Mainframe he asked for her opinion on aspects of the current mission as well as other past encounters with Cobra. He kept her distracted until Flint radioed in again to say that they all were fine, and that the mission was a success.

Lady Jaye had expected the reprimand to finally come at that point, but instead Hawk had thanked her for her insight and her time. She took the out that was offered, and went to her room to spend a sleepless night waiting for Flint's return.

She continued to reminisce about life on the Joe team, and missions of that year until she got to the episode with the Ghost prototype and she was reminded of the fact that she had dinner plans with Ron Michaels that night. She scolded herself to stop daydreaming and get back to work so that she could leave at a decent time that afternoon.

* * *

Ron found a parking space down the street from the address Alison had given him. As he made his way down the block, he took in the houses of the neighborhood. It seemed like his old flight buddy had done quite well for herself. However, he was still curious as to how she had gone from the Joe team to the Pentagon.

He reached Alison's house, and rang her doorbell. She opened the door and enveloped Ron in a hug. "I'm sorry I gave you the bum's rush this morning, but I was running really late."

"It's no problem," Ron said with a smile. He handed her the bottle of wine in his hand. "I was just glad I saw you."

"Me too," Alison said. "You look good. The leg has totally healed?"

"Yep. I got a clean bill of health about eight weeks afterwards."

She invited him into the living room. "I apologize for not suggesting a dinner out, but I'm a bit limited these days in my ability to go out. She motioned towards a baby swing. "Ron, I'd like you to meet my daughter Marissa."

Ron was momentarily taken aback by the news. But he quickly regained his composure. "Alison, she's beautiful. Congratulations. So is she the reason you are now stationed in DC?"

"In a roundabout way yes." She brought the bottle of wine into the kitchen. "So do you want the short and sweet version, or the long and painful one?"

Ron joined her side. "Whatever you feel the most comfortable telling." Apparently it was a combination of the two options. As he listened to her story, he couldn't help but feel bad for what seemed like a raw deal for her. "I'm sorry that happened to you."

Alison poured the wine. He received a full glass while she only gave herself a couple of sips. "Thanks for the sympathy, but it's not necessary. I admit that it took me a long time to accept the outcome." The two walked back into the living room. She pointed towards Marissa. "But in the end, I ended up with a good job, and a husband and a daughter that I love."

"Well, cheers!" Ron said as he touched his glass to hers. "You've been busy. When was the last time I saw you? A year ago?"

"Closer to eighteen months." Marissa started to fuss, so Alison walked over to her and pulled her up from the swing. She walked back to the couch patting the infant's back.

"And in that time, my biggest news is that I went wild and crazy and adopted a cat."

Alison let out a laugh while Marissa let out an audible burp. She grimaced as she looked down and saw that a decent amount of spit-up was now covering her shirt. "Are you still traveling around the world testing experimental equipment?"

"I am. Which is why I got a cat and not a dog. They are a little more self-sufficient."

Alison stood up. "Do you mind holding her? I want to change my shirt, and then we can discuss our take-out options."

Ron reached for the infant with a little hesitation. Normally he steered clear of babies, especially one as little as Marissa. But he wanted to help Alison out. Marissa flashed him a smile, and he couldn't help but grin at her.

As soon as the bedroom door closed behind her, the house phone rang. "Do you want me to answer that?" Ron called out. He did once she said yes. "Alison Hart-Burnett residence."

There was no reply at first, so Ron thought it might have been a telemarketer. But then a not so friendly voice spoke. "Actually, it is Alison and Dashiell Faireborn's residence, and who the hell is answering my phone?"

"Flint? It's Ron, Ron Michaels, Alison's flight buddy."

Flint sharply inhaled. "You're in DC?"

"Just until tomorrow. Alison invited me over for dinner. Congratulations on the birth of your daughter. I'm so happy for the two of you. I have her in my arms right now."

"Thank you. Is Alison there?" Flint asked gruffly. Most of what Ron knew about Flint came from Alison's stories about him. The two had met briefly, but Ron had been out of it for most of their encounter due to his severely broken leg. Alison had admitted that one of Flint's flaws that irritated her was his jealous nature. Based on the current phone call it seemed that marriage and fatherhood hadn't mellowed Flint out.

"She is, but she's getting changed. The baby spit up on her." The bedroom door opened and Alison walked out. "Flint's on the phone."

Alison nodded. "Tell him I'll call him back later."

Ron did so which only seemed to anger Flint further. After Flint insisted that he wanted to talk to Alison, Ron brought her the phone. She rolled her eyes and took it. To give her some semblance of privacy he walked into the living room.

A couple of minutes later she rejoined him. "I'm sorry about that."

"No, it's fine. I have to imagine this has been hard on him." Ron took a long look at Alison who sat down on the couch with a sigh. "How has it been going?"

"If you asked me that question a month ago, I would have started sobbing on your shoulder. It's gotten better, but it's still not easy. It doesn't help that after the first couple of weeks, Dash has only been here a total of four days. Which is frustrating to both of us. And I know he misses us and wishes he was here, but I have a hard time consoling him when I'm so worn out."

Alison took a sip of her wine and continued. "And then I think that I have no one to blame for this situation but myself. I wonder if I should have just swallowed my pride and stayed in Arizona. I would have given up this job I've come to love, but at least Dash would have gotten to see his daughter more than a handful of times."

Ron leaned over and patted her leg. "Don't beat yourself up too bad. In that scenario, the three of you may have been together, but it doesn't sound like you would have been very happy."

Alison smiled. "You're right. And that's why I made the decision that I did. But I realize now, as a mother, that I should have sacrificed my happiness for the good of my family."

"Maybe I'm wrong but I don't think that's one of the requirements for motherhood."

Alison finished her glass and stood up. "You didn't come here to listen to me complain. Let's order dinner and talk about anything but my problems."

They settled on a local pizzeria. Alison placed the order, and then she disappeared into the nursery to feed Marissa and get her ready for bed. She was still in there when the order was delivered. At first Ron tried to do the chivalrous thing and wait on her, but after she insisted for the third time that he start without her he gave in. She finally emerged long after the pizza had gone cold.

She went into the kitchen to reheat a couple of slices but he told her to sit while he took care of it. He brought her the wine bottle. "Do you want a refill?"

She nodded and handed him her glass. "Just a little."

They continued to chat about a variety of topics until she was finished with her meal. Ron noticed that she was struggling to stifle a series of yawns, and he knew it was time to go. Alison walked him to the door and she gave him a hug before he left. As Ron walked back to the car, he came to the conclusion that while he understood the desire to start a family, he was glad he only had his cat.


	23. Chapter 23

Flint tapped his foot against the desert sand, and tried to refrain from checking his watch yet again. Even though he knew that standing alongside the tarmac was not going to make Falcon's team land any sooner, he felt better waiting outside as opposed to pacing in his office.

He had been packed and ready to go since earlier that day, but he still needed to wait until Falcon returned so he could be cleared to leave. The last four weeks had been spent chasing after one false lead after another. He had only been granted one brief 36 hour leave period during that time that had unfortunately occurred in the middle of the week.

Alison hadn't been able to take the day off, so they only had one evening together. He had stayed with Marissa during the day, and he had enjoyed the one-on-one time with his little girl, including lunch with Alison at the Pentagon but the time had gone by too quickly.

After what seemed like an eternity, the Tomahawk landed. Duke joined his side as Falcon exited and walked over to them. "Cross Orbac off the list. No storefront, no warehouse, and no secret Cobra base that we found. And once again the supposed CEO had no idea Orbac even existed."

"Okay. I still want a report, but take your time.," Duke said. "Anvil's already on his way to DC, so we'll wait for Monday for the debriefing."

Flint also took that as his cue to leave. "Good job, Falcon. I'm going to grab my things and get on the road too."

"Let me walk with you," Duke said. "So that should be the end of the Cobra anagrams, unless Alison has uncovered anymore."

"Not that I know of. But after this exercise, I agree with her that someone went to a lot of trouble sending us on wild goose chases."

Duke sighed. "And the Jugglers were more than happy to give us guns and the map."

They reached Flint's room. He grabbed his bag and Class A. The upcoming weekend he and Alison, along with Hawk, Stalker, Beachhead and several members of the Pentagon had been invited to the White House for a formal past and present military appreciation dinner.

Flint was excited for the event. Not only because it would give him a chance to see the inside of the White House first hand, but it would be the first date night he had with Alison since Marissa had been born. He gave his uniform one last look-over to make sure everything is in place.

"Doublechecking the monkey suit?" Duke asked.

"Yes, I don't want to look like an idiot in front of the others," Flint admitted.

Duke smiled. "Don't worry, once you open your mouth you'll take care of that."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence," Flint said with a laugh. "I'm sorry you won't be joining us."

Duke shrugged. "I'm not. You know I was never a fan of these formal events. Besides, with you and Anvil attending, someone needs to stay behind to keep the real work going."

Flint reached over to shake Duke's hand. "Thanks for the holding down the fort. Keep me posted on any developments."

"Unless something shocking happens, this time I'm going to leave you alone. Give my best to Alison, and enjoy your weekend."

Flint headed out to the tarmac fully intending to do that.

* * *

Alison walked into the nursery once she was done with her shower. Marissa's afternoon nap had gone on longer than usual and she wanted to check on her. Marissa had woken that morning with what sounded like a budding cold, and it looked like it hadn't gotten any better. Alison picked her up and brought her to the rocking chair. Nursing the baby proved difficult as her stuffed up nose made it hard for her to eat and breathe at the same time.

Flint stuck his head in. "I hate to rush you, but you probably should finish getting ready."

Alison nodded as she looked down at Marissa sleeping in her arms. She pushed the hair out of her daughter's eyes and she could feel how warm her forehead was. "She has a fever," she said to Flint.

He frowned as he walked in. "What do you want to do?"

She looked down at Marissa again. "I can't leave her. I know Mrs. Matthews could probably handle this, but I don't want to make her. Plus, I wouldn't be able to have a good time knowing she's not feeling good."

"Okay," Flint said as he kissed her. "I'll call Anvil. What do you want to do instead? We can order something for dinner."

"Dash, there's no reason why you can't go. We both don't need to sit here."

Flint hesitated. Alison figured he was contemplating his options. She knew that he had been looking forward to this affair as much as she had been. But while she was disappointed that she was missing her chance to dress up and potentially meet the president, she meant what she said. "Go ahead. This dinner is the whole reason why you flew here this weekend."

"Only because it meant spending the evening with you. I don't want to go by myself."

"You'll be with Hawk, Anvil, Beach and Stalker. Plus numerous celebrities and Big Wigs. You probably won't even miss me."

"Now that's not true. I was really looking forward to seeing you in that dress."

Alison was disappointed about that as well. It was a great dress she had picked out, and she had been thrilled that she had actually fit into it. "We'll just have to think of another occasion when I can wear it. Now go. And take notes. I want to know who shows up, and all of the President's best jokes."

Flint acquiesced. She had some second thoughts as she watched him dress, but that all went away as Marissa let out a pitiful cry as he was getting ready to leave. Flint asked her one final time if she was sure as he watched her try to console the cranky infant. She said she was, and he left a short time later.

She gave Marissa a warm bath, and some Tylenol which helped soothe her. Once she was settled, Alison made a sandwich and parked herself on the couch. She turned the channel to one of the twenty- four-hour news stations that had a pseudo red carpet style pre-White House dinner coverage. As she watched the interviews with the various high-ranking brass and celebrities, she imagined what it must be like to be there. She couldn't wait for the report from Flint later that night.

No sooner did she have the thought, that she caught a glimpse of him in the background. She beamed with pride until she realized that he was in deep conversation with a buxom brunette. A very buxom brunette who was laughing and hanging on his every word. The jealousy attack hit her fast and hard. "So that's why he didn't put up much of a fight," she mumbled to herself.

She was surprised at her reaction, and for the first time she could understand Flint's jealous fits. It wasn't easy being in a vulnerable position watching the person you loved fall under another's charms.

But then she looked down at her ratty, spit-up stained pajamas and she realized she didn't actually blame him. She had spent the last three months totally devoted to the care of Marissa, that she wouldn't be surprised if he was feeling neglected. Not that that would excuse any extramarital behavior, but as she rewound the clip she could see that wasn't the case. She knew her husband well enough to recognize his signs of lust and desire, and he was showing none of those.

Plus, she was secure enough in their marriage to know how much he loved her. So while Marissa was still, rightfully so, her top priority, she knew she should devote some of her time and energy showing her husband how much she loved him at well. With that thought, she decided that when he returned from this evening's festivities would be a good place to start.

* * *

"So, Flint, will you be joining us?" Stalker asked as he wrapped his arm around his wife's shoulders. The dinner had ended and the Joes and their significant others were discussing getting a late night drink at a local bar.

The offer was tempting, as the night had been a lot of fun and Flint didn't want to see it end. But a bigger part of him wanted to go home to see Alison and Marissa. "Thanks, Lonzo, but I'll pass. I want to make sure Marissa's okay."

"I understand. It's hard escaping the ball and chain," Lonzo said with a laugh as his wife swatted him.

Flint said goodbye to the group, and then got his car from the valet service. During the drive home, he replayed the dinner in his thoughts. It had been a really fun night, but it would have been better if Alison had shared in the evening with him. However, he had a head full of thoughts and stories that he wanted to tell her.

He pulled up to their house and quietly entered. He figured she would be asleep already, and he was glad that he didn't have to fly back until late Sunday night, so he would have time to catch up with her. However, she surprised him as he tiptoed into the bedroom. "How was it?" she asked.

"I wish you could have been there. It was a lot of fun," he answered. He began to strip out of his clothes, but paused as he took a sniff of the room. "It smells good in here."

"I decided to treat myself to a bubble bath."

"Nice. So I guess Marissa is feeling better?"

"She's okay. I think she'll be fine in a day or two."

Flint climbed into bed and was very pleasantly surprised to find out that not only did the room smell good, but she did as well. And she was completely naked.

"I've been waiting for you to come home," she said huskily.

He responded immediately. She took control of the situation, and he let her. She apparently knew what she wanted, and he was more than happy to give it to her. Afterwards, he lay there, grinning like a loon, and asked. "I know I'm probably stupid for asking, but I need to know for the future – what brought this on?"

"I was sitting here by myself, when suddenly I realized I desperately wanted you."

Flint kissed her. "Were you watching a movie starring one of the young hot and upcoming actors?"

Alison laughed. "No. What I was actually watching was coverage of the pre-dinner festivities. When I saw my very handsome husband in very deep conversation with a very beautiful and well-endowed brunette. I decided I might have been overdue in showing my love for you."

"So wait, what you're saying is that you were jealous? I wish I could remember the woman who caused this."

"Were there several women that had caught your attention tonight?"

"No. That's the thing, I don't remember any. The only beautiful brunette that had my attention tonight was the one sitting in our house taking care of our daughter."

She leaned over and gave him a long kiss. "Good answer."

He kissed her in return. "It's the truth. And while I will never turn down another session like this, you know you don't have to do this to prove your love to me, right? And you do know how much I love you too?"

"I do. But I needed this for myself as well. I realized I had been so wrapped up in Marissa, that I forgot about you and me."

"So this was a good one?"

"This was a great one."

* * *

The next morning after breakfast, Alison put Marissa down on the floor on one of her colorful blankets for her daily tummy time exercise. She had forgone the routine the previous morning because of Marissa's cold but her symptoms seemed to have abated. Alison took a seat on the couch and when Flint joined her she asked, "Hey, can I talk to you about something?"

"You want to start trying for baby number two?"

"No!" Alison blurted out, causing Flint's enthusiasm to quickly fade. "It's way too early. I'd like Marissa weaned, sleeping through the night and possible potty trained before we bring a second one into the world."

"Really? Potty trained? You want to wait that long?"

"The exact timeline is negotiable. Which will talk about later. But what I wanted to ask you is do you think your parents might be able to take Marissa for about a week at the beginning of next month?"

"I think they'd love that. Why?"

"Richard wants me to attend a weeklong Intelligence training class at Fort Huachuca. I'd love to go, as it would be good to get a refresher course. Obviously, I can't bring Marissa, so I need someone to watch her."

Flint stared at her for a moment. "Al, I love that you want to keep my parents involved with Marissa, but I have to admit I'm a little hurt that you thought of them before me."

"Of course I thought of you, but I didn't think you could do it with your schedule."

Flint thought for a few moments and nodded. "I'm sure I can rearrange the mission plan to make it work. Tell me the exact dates and let me see what I can do."

"Dash, it's more than postponing a mission. You would have to take care of her full time. And I don't mean by sticking her in the corner of your office."

Flint shot her an annoyed look. "I wouldn't do that. When I have to be in HQ I can talk to some of the guys' wives to see if they'll watch her. Quick Kick did say Amber's been on a baby kick. I know I haven't been around a whole lot, but I am fully aware of what it means to take care of her."

Alison doubted the veracity of his statement, however she kept quiet. She figured he was going to be in for a rude awakening once he had to take care of Marissa by himself. But she was starting to think it was going to be good for him. "Okay. It would be easier on me since Fort Huachuca is a couple of hours away from HQ. It's too far to commute, but we could fly to Phoenix the weekend before and leave the weekend after. Let me know as soon as you can so I can make our travel arrangements."

"It'll be the first thing I work on once I get back. And if I can't make it happen, I'll ask my parents. Either way, you should go ahead and plan on going to the class. I think it'll be good for you to go. Maybe you'll uncover a way to find the ghosts we've been chasing."

Alison nodded. "That is a major reason why Richard is pushing for this."

Marissa, who had been content in her prone position let out an angry squawk. Flint rose to get her, but Alison held him back. "No, watch what she does." Marissa continued to express her displeasure until she braced her arms in front of her and lifted her head and chest. Pleased with herself, she smiled at her parents.

Flint clapped and then got down on the floor next to his daughter. He kissed the top of her head. "Who is the strongest and smartest three-month-old out there? My baby girl!"

Alison laughed. But she had to admit, Flint was correct.


	24. Chapter 24

_Author's Note: A belated thank you to the readers and all of the really nice reviews I have received throughout this story. It means a lot to know I have faithful readers and reviewers. I'm also glad so many liked the previous chapter. When I came up with this story idea, that was one of the first scenes I wrote as it set the stage for how I envisioned Flint and Lady Jaye's family life._

* * *

From the moment that Alison told him that she was bringing Marissa to Arizona, Flint began to plan the perfect week. Rearranging the mission on-call schedule was the easy part. With the list of potential Cobra offshoots exhausted, the Joe team had settled back into the slower pace they had become accustomed to.

Acquiring the baby items that Alison didn't want to bring across country was also an easy chore. Flint used his free time leading up to their visit cleaning and setting up the apartment since he had spent minimal amount of time there the past few months.

On the morning of their arrival, Flint went to the airport well ahead of time. He parked, bought a coffee and a newspaper but he was too excited to read. Instead he scanned the arriving passengers until he saw them. As he went to greet them he was hit with a nauseating smell and he grimaced.

"I know," Alison said with an exasperated sigh. "She was so good throughout the flight, barely even cried. But then as we were landing, I noticed that smell. It's a full-fledged blowout, so I'm going to need a second pair of hands. I'll take her, you take her car seat."

Stifling a series of gags, Flint did the best he could do in the cramped and crowded men's room to wash and dry the seat. By the time they were done, Alison's bags were waiting for them in the baggage claim. He loaded them all in the car and drove home.

When planning the perfect week, the two things that Flint didn't take into consideration was the unbearable early August Arizona heat, and Marissa's negative reaction to the time change. So dreams of leisurely trips to the park and the zoo were instead spent in the air conditioned apartment trying to console the extremely cranky infant whose schedule had been altered.

Alison had originally said she was going to leave very early Monday morning to drive to Fort Huachuca to start her training, but Flint couldn't blame her when she came up with a few excuses as to why she actually needed to travel Sunday night to get situated.

The one thing that went somewhat to plan was getting Amber to act as Marissa's babysitter for the week. Since she was teaching evening courses at the local dojo, Amber was free to watch Marissa during the day. Flint could tell she wasn't thrilled with their early arrival Monday morning, but she didn't complain.

The first two days went fine but then shortly after Flint returned to the apartment Tuesday night, he received a phone call from an apologetic Amber who explained that one of her fellow sempais had a family emergency and couldn't teach Wednesday at the summer camp the dojo was holding, so Amber had to be his replacement. Flint thought about asking if she could bring Marissa to the dojo, but he didn't want to put either one of them through that.

As he was debating his plan 'B', Alison called. He didn't want to give her any indication of any problems so he told her everything was fine when she asked. "That's good to hear," she said. "Is she sleeping any better?"

"Not really," Flint admitted. "She still falls asleep before seven, wakes up twice in the night, and is up for the day a little after four. She's also not happy with the bedtime and first thing in the morning bottle. She'll eventually take it, but I think she misses you."

"I miss her too. Her sleeping habits were pretty erratic, but not that bad. My only advice to you is try to go to sleep as soon as you can after she does."

"Believe me, that hasn't been a problem."

Alison laughed. "I know the feeling."

"So how's training going?"

"Really well. I didn't think things had changed that much since I last came through here, but I am constantly being surprised at what advances had been made. Plus, I've become friendly with a group of guys here, and we're all going out to dinner tonight."

Flint bristled at the comment. But he was surprised to realize that he was more bothered by the fact that she had a chance to go out to dinner as opposed to the company she was keeping. He then scolded himself for such an unfair reaction, that he knew was due to sleep deprivation and the stress of seeing Marissa so unhappy without her mother. Flint was experiencing what Alison's life was like now as a mother, and she had definitely earned the week-long break. "That's good, I hope you have a nice night."

"Thanks, I am looking forward to it. I hate to cut you off, but I have to meet them in a couple of minutes."

Flint put Marissa to bed, and as he too crashed into his own he realized he never found a replacement baby sitter for the following day. He knew he had no choice but to bring her to HQ with him. As he carried her in her portable car seat into OC the following morning, he received a glare from General Bradshaw. "I'm sorry sir, her babysitter canceled at the last minute."

Luckily Marissa stayed quiet throughout the meeting. Once it was done, Flint brought her into his office. Thinking back to Alison's warning when she asked him about watching her, he made sure to set Marissa up close to his desk and not put her in the corner of the room.

About an hour later, Flint decided it was time for a late breakfast for the two of them. He brought Marissa into the commissary, made himself a plate, and ate while he fed her a bottle. After a few minutes, Dial-Tone joined him at the table. "Flint, the shipment arrived at the warehouse."

"Okay, fine. Tell them to deliver it as soon as possible."

Dial-Tone frowned as he looked from Flint to the baby is his arms. "But you said that you didn't want it delivered here until you personally inspected the parts since the last order was all messed up."

Flint let out a curse. Then realizing that Marissa could hear him, he apologized and continued an internal rant. Dial-Tone was correct, he did need to go check out the shipment. "Okay, I guess I'll take her with me."

"In this heat?" Dial-Tone said. "That's crazy. If you want, I have the rest of the morning off so I can watch her."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah. How hard can it be?"

Flint was ready to correct Dial-Tone on his assumption, but he didn't want to lose the opportunity that was given him. As Marissa finished her bottle, he gave Dial-Tone a crash course in basic infant care. "She should be good for at least three hours, and I'll be back well before then. If you have any other questions call me."

Unfortunately, his little errand took much longer than he expected. Traffic was extremely heavy so it took him almost twice as long to get to the warehouse as it should have. Once he got there, there was a fair amount of confusion and it took nearly an hour to locate the parts. Then he noticed one of the boxes was missing, and it took some time to find it. The only saving grace was that the order was correct so once he was satisfied he raced back to his car to return to HQ. He was desperate to see Marissa again. It didn't help that his phone had died, so he couldn't contact Dial-Tone to see if she was okay. Flint cursed as he drove his car into the Joe's underground parking lot.

He parked and ran into the building. Once inside, he didn't know where to head to first. He figured they were long gone from the commissary, but he checked anyway. Since it was after lunch, the place was nearly deserted. But still he asked the couple of Greenshirts milling about, but no one had seen either Dial-Tone or his daughter.

His next stop was his office. He figured he could probably save time and his breath by calling people instead of running from room to room. Dial-Tone didn't answer his personal phone, but Flint was able to track him down in the Computer room. "Dial-Tone, it's Flint. I'm sorry I got back so late. How's Marissa doing?"

When the communications specialist paused, Flint knew it wasn't going to be good news. "I don't know, Flint. An emergency came up in the computer lab, so I asked Cross Country to keep an eye on her. I tried to call you to tell you what happened."

Flint felt his blood pressure start to rise. But he knew nothing was going to get accomplished if he lost his cool. "It's fine. So Cross Country has her?"

"Yes. He said he had nothing planned for the afternoon, so she should still be with him."

"Okay," Flint said as he started to look up Cross Country phone number. "Thank you," he added as an afterthought.

Flint dialed the number and was greeted with a "Y'all hold on." With the amount of noise and commotion going on in the background of the phone, Flint prayed that Marissa wasn't still with him. "I'm sorry, but you have to make it quick," Cross Country said once he got back on the line.

"It's Flint. Do you have Marissa?"

"I don't. Excuse me. Where the heck are the other extinguishers?" Cross Country muffled the phone but returned after a few moments. "A small fire broke out in the motor pool. But don't worry, we have it under control. And Shipwreck has Marissa, so she's fine." There was another loud crash and Cross Country hurried off the phone.

Flint had to refrain from smacking himself in the head. He wasn't sure what the bigger crisis was at the moment. The fact that the motor pool was on what didn't sound like a 'small' fire, or that his not yet four-month-old was hanging out with probably the most notorious Joe on the base.

He dialed Shipwreck's number, but to no avail. He had to refrain from leaving a profanity laced voice mail. So he then resorted to the communications method he only used in times of emergency. He figured this moment qualified as one. He dialed the code for the base-wide announcement and asked Shipwreck to call his office.

As the seconds and then the minutes passed, Flint started to really panic. He tried to calm down by telling himself that surely someone on this base full of responsible adults had her. But he had too many other bad scenarios playing out in his head.

There was a knock on the door, and Flint hoped it was his prayers answered. But instead Duke walked in. "I'm glad you're back. There's apparently a situation in the motor pool."

"I heard. But I have a bigger problem. I lost Marissa."

Duke stared at him a moment. "How did you lose her? Did she suddenly start walking?"

Flint started to explain what happened, but his phone rang. He answered it and for the first time in his life, he was thrilled to hear Shipwreck's voice. "Do you have Marissa?"

"I do," Shipwreck answered in a whisper.

"Thank God. Where are you? Can you bring her to me?"

"No can do," Shipwreck again said in a whisper.

Flint clued into the fact that Shipwreck's end of the conversation was very odd. He again started to panic. "Shipwreck, what the hell's going on?"

"Sorry," the sailor replied. "She's currently asleep on my chest and I don't want to wake her."

Flint breathed a long sigh of relief. "Where are you? I'll come get her."

"Rec room. But take your time. She's fine."

Flint hung up the phone and then turned to Duke. "Shipwreck has Marissa in the rec room. Let me just get her, and then we'll figure out what to do with the motor pool."

"Don't worry about it. Get your little girl, and go home. I'll deal with the motor pool."

Flint smiled. "Thanks, Duke. I owe you one."

He then raced for the rec room, and when he entered he saw a sight that he never would have believed if someone else had told it to him. Shipwreck was sitting perfectly still on one of the couches, with Marissa asleep in his arms. His hand was rubbing the baby's back.

"I think she's starting to wake up," Shipwreck explained. "I gave her the rest of the bottle I had, but there wasn't much to it. Luckily, she fell asleep, but I think she's going to wake up pretty hungry."

Flint berated himself for not bringing her diaper bag with him. "I've got her things in my office. Thank you for doing this."

"No problem. I had a good excuse for getting out of this afternoon's work detail," Shipwreck said with a grin.

Flint laughed. "But still, I really appreciate it. Hey, and listen, I'd also appreciate it if you didn't mention any of this to Alison. I'd even be willing to give you a free pass for your next screw-up."

"Tell Alison what, exactly? That you temporarily misplaced your firstborn? A lesser person would take your "bribe", but you know that I'm better than that. I'd be more than happy to keep your little secret. But I think I deserve at least five free passes."

Flint glared at Shipwreck. "Don't press your luck. I'll give you three."

"It's a deal. Now, dad, get your little girl her bottle."

* * *

That Saturday night, Flint lay in bed with Alison in his arms. He reflected over the last few days with a sense of sadness since Alison and Marissa were going to return to DC the following morning.

The misadventure on Wednesday had seemed to be the turning point of the week. After Flint had brought Marissa home, a series of storms had come through cooling the temperature enough to take Marissa for a walk outside. The fresh air had seemed to improve her mood, and that evening Flint had loved watching her let out squeals of delight and excited babble as they played with her toys.

The next day had gone just as well, and Flint had dropped Marissa off Friday morning with conflicted emotions. Since he felt like he had finally gotten the hang of single parenthood he knew he was going to miss it. But he was excited that Alison would be returning that evening, and they had the added bonus that Amber offered to watch Marissa Saturday night as a make-up for her earlier cancellation. That meant that he and Alison would finally get their much-needed date night and he quickly agreed.

Friday morning had passed excruciatingly slow for Flint. Luckily he had only been needed at HQ until noon. Shortly after picking up Marissa and going to the apartment he had gotten a phone call from Alison who told him she too was on her way back.

"Already? I thought your day ended later?"

"The classes are done. There is a non-mandatory social event this afternoon, but I passed on it."

"Really? What about your new friends?" Flint said, a hint of jealousy in his voice.

"Please. It only took that one night out to realize I had nothing in common with any of them. So I'd much rather spend these few hours with you and Marissa."

Flint smiled. "Drive carefully, and I'll see you soon."

Based on the separation anxiety Marissa had exhibited at the beginning of the week, Flint had assumed that she would be happy to see her mother. But instead, when Alison arrived and gave her a welcome home hug she let out a cry.

Flint didn't think it was possible for someone as young as Marissa to hold a grudge but that was what she had seemed to do the rest of Friday. She even refused to nurse at first, upsetting Alison who was afraid that by leaving for the week, she had accidentally weaned her. But by her bedtime, Marissa relented.

Marissa seemed back to normal on Saturday, but Alison was still hesitant to leave her again for their date night. Flint eventually talked her into it by saying they could do just an early dinner and be home in time for Marissa's bedtime.

He was glad he did. They had a very nice dinner together. Even though they had spent the previous twenty-four hours together, it was the first opportunity they had to sit and really talk.

"So how was single fatherhood the last few days?" Alison asked.

"It went really well," Flint said with a grin. "I admit, I had a couple of moments when I might have panicked, but I figured it out."

"You called your mother for help?"

Flint laughed. "No! Give me more credit than that. I called my sister."

Flint continued the recap, omitting the part where he lost Marissa. Alison too summed up her week. Once dinner was over, Flint tried to talk Alison into extending the evening, but she was adamant about going back home to check on Marissa. "Perfect timing," Amber said as they returned home. "I was just getting ready to make her bottle."

While Alison took Marissa into her room to feed her, Flint turned to Amber. "Thanks again for doing this."

"It was no problem. Since Mac has the duty watch, I didn't have big plans for tonight." Amber looked at her watch. "If you want to go back out after Alison is done, I don't might staying a little while longer."

"Thank you, but I think we're done. It's nearly our bedtime as well."

Amber nodded. "I guess having a baby really does change your whole life. Marissa is so sweet, and I enjoyed being with her these last few days. But I don't know if I'm ready to take this on full time. I might stick with the babysitting jobs a little while longer."

Amber's comment hounded Flint a few hours later as he lay sleepless in bed. Alison would have agreed with her assessment about the life-changing process of parenthood. And yes, Flint too was a different man than the one from the year prior, before he knew about Alison's pregnancy. But because of their long-distance separation he was still basically in a baby-sitting position as opposed to a full-time father.

He was also reminded of his father's speech shortly after Marissa was born, and how he had once promised Alison that their separation would only last until Marissa's six-month birthday. That date was rapidly approaching, and he hadn't made any progress towards keeping that promise.

He vowed to himself that was going to change. The criteria that had forced him to remain with the Joes was no longer an issue. Duke seemed mostly back to his old self. And even if he wasn't a hundred percent, Falcon had improved enough over the last eight months to take on the role of XO. Plus they had once again proved to the Jugglers and themselves that the Cobra of the past was no longer a threat.

Flint knew that a transfer was going to take some time. And that it meant convincing Anvil, which wasn't going to be easy. But as he looked over at Alison he knew it was time to try.


	25. Chapter 25

On what had started out as a typical work day in early September, General Hawk's phone rang mid-morning. Alison was used to having multiple desks and varying noise levels in a single office, so she had long since learned to tune out distractions. She ignored Hawk's conversation at first as she continued to read the reports on her desk. But as she picked up on the general's somber tone, she paid more attention.

"I understand," Hawk replied. "Do you have any more information as to the extent of her injuries?"

Alison looked from Stalker to Beach Head who had both stopped what they were doing to listen in as well. "Thank you," Hawk continued. "I know this is a very difficult time, so I appreciate any updates you can get me."

Hawk hung up his phone and took a moment to compose himself. He then faced the Joes in the room. "That was one of the generals out of Okinawa. He reported that a couple of hours ago, a devastating earthquake struck central Japan. The Arashikage compound was destroyed." Hawk again caught his breath. "Both Jinx and Scarlett were injured, with Scarlett's injuries being the most serious. And Snake-Eyes was killed."

Stalker gasped and had to brace himself against his desk. Alison went to his side. "Do the Joes know?"

"Not yet," Hawk answered. "I have to call General Bradshaw."

As Hawk picked up his phone, Alison grabbed her as well. She quickly dialed Flint's number. She wanted to alert him to the news so that he could be the one to tell Duke.

* * *

Flint was outside, keeping an eye on the fight currently taking place in the makeshift boxing ring that was built earlier in the day. As what usually happened in the fights between Leatherneck and Wet-suit, no one was quite sure what started it, or why it escalated as badly as it did. He had his arms folded across the chest to give the impression that he wasn't happy with the event. But in reality he was enjoying himself. It was good to see the Joes blowing off steam, and he had a fifty on Leatherneck, who was currently pummeling the hell out of Wet-Suit.

This was one of the moments he was going to miss when he left the Joe team. Although, as he expected, that moment wasn't coming any time in the near future. Duke had been an easy sell on the idea. "Look, we both know I was selfish the last go around, when I forced your hand and nearly cost you everything," Duke had said once Flint told him his desire to transfer. "Luckily, I've come a long way, both physically and mentally, since then. I've finally come to terms with the idea that I'm never going to be the man I was before Serpentor's attack, but I do feel that I can be the Top this team needs. Ideally, I would want you by my side, but I understand why you need to move on."

Anvil too had been agreeable to the idea, with a caveat. "I knew at some point we would be revisiting this topic. To be honest, I thought you were going to bring it up right after your baby was born. But I do thank you for waiting until the team was at a more stable point." Anvil paused before he continued. "I'm also going to admit that Sergeant Hauser spoke to me about this. He assured me that he is back in top form, and that Falcon can handle many of your duties. I agree with that. However, I still would hesitate to let you go if the Joe team was at the level of activity it once had. But it's not. So even though I know you want to make this move for personal reasons, I'm ready to okay it if you make this a positive move professionally as well. Flint, you're too valuable a resource to the US Army. Find another active unit to join, and I will sign off on the transfer."

Flint had walked out of the General's office pleased with the conversation. He had done a lot of soul searching regarding his professional future, and while he felt a life of academia was something he wanted to pursue, he figured that was something that could wait until later in life. Flint agreed with Anvil that he still had a lot to offer the Army. He had immediately started a search to find a job he was qualified for in DC area to transfer to, but there weren't any available at the moment. It was nearing the end of the fiscal year in Washington, so he had to wait until budgets were finalized before a new set of job listings were sent out.

Luckily, October was only a few weeks away. He still hadn't told Alison about his impending transfer yet, as he wanted to wait until he had a concrete plan in place. He didn't want her to get her hopes up for no reason.

Flint's thoughts were interrupted by the calling of his name. He looked up to see Dial-Tone rushing towards him. "Alison's on the phone. She said it's important."

Flint patted down his pockets and realized he left his cell at his desk. As he took the phone from Dial-Tone he hoped nothing was wrong.

"Dash, where were you? I've been trying to call you for the last ten minutes." He heard her voice catch. "I've got bad news."

Flint's heart began to pound. "Al, what's going on? Is it Marissa?"

"No, she's fine." Flint breathed a sigh of relief. He could handle anything as long as his baby girl was okay. Alison continued. "There was an earthquake in Japan. Snakes is dead. And Scarlett's badly hurt. We don't have many more details beyond that, but you have to tell Duke."

"I'm on my way. Are you okay?"

"Obviously, we're all pretty shook up. Stalker is taking it hard, but Hawk is with him."

"Alright, I'll give you a call later."

Ignoring Dial-Tone's questions, Flint raced for Duke's office. Alison was right that he should be the first to tell him. But he guessed he was too late when General Bradshaw announced an all hands meeting. He reached Duke's door, knocked, but didn't wait for the invitation to go in.

Duke had his head in his hands, and only briefly looked up as Flint walked in. "I'm assuming you heard."

"Yes. Allison just called and told me. Conrad, I'm so sorry. I know you've been with Snakes since the beginning."

Duke nodded. "I'd be devastated if we lost any of the Joes. But you're right, I do have a special bond with the original team. With Clutch, Grunt and Steeler doing God knows what God knows where, and now Snake-Eyes, I've lost a quarter of that group. And from what I hear, Scarlett's not doing," Duke couldn't finish his train of thought.

Flint put his hand on his friend's shoulder. "She's a fighter, Duke."

"I know. And I'm trying to stay positive. But all I can think about is how I put her in that position. I just wanted to keep her from getting hurt, and look what happened."

"You can't think like that," Flint began. However, he was interrupted by the ringing of Duke's phone. Duke sighed and answered it. He spoke for only a few moments.

"Anvil is looking for us," Duke explained after he hung up. "Go on ahead. I'm coming, I just need a couple of minutes."

"Take your time. I'll handle the general."

The all-hands meeting that followed was a somber affair. Flint did his best to remain stoic at Anvil's side, as the general made the announcement to the Joes. Many of the Joes gasped and or visibly wept. Duke had kept to his promise, and had joined the other leaders on the stage, but he refused to make eye contact with anyone, and left right after the Joes were dismissed.

Afterwards Flint debated talking to Duke again, but he decided that he probably wanted the time to be alone. Flint tried to reach out to the one person he really wanted to talk to, but Alison didn't answer her phone.

Later that night, Flint sat in the rec room trying to distract himself from his thoughts. However, the national news was on, and the top story was the earthquake in Japan. He felt a buzzing in his pocket, and was grateful for his phone's interruption. He was even happier when he saw who was calling.

He walked out into the hallway and answered the phone. "Hey, babe."

"Hey. Sorry I missed your call earlier, it was a pretty hectic rest of the afternoon."

"I understand. It was the same here. Any more word out of Japan?"

"Nothing concrete. There's so much conflicting information, which is understandable. We're still not sure what are the extent of Shana's injuries, but the good news is that it doesn't seem to be life threatening."

Flint made his way to his office and took a seat at his desk. "Thank God. And what about Jinx?"

"She seems to be okay. Hawk had a chance to talk to her briefly before the phone connection was lost."

"That's more good news," Flint said. The two then paused. He heard the sounds of cooing and babbling in the background. "Is that Marissa?"

"It is. I'm breaking my rule by bringing her into our bed, but tonight I just want her near me."

"I know the feeling. I really wish I could be with you right now." Flint wiped away at the wetness that formed under his eye.

"I wish you could be here too," Alison said quietly.

"I have to find a way to get out there in the next day or two."

"Actually, you probably don't have to. Hawk wants to have a memorial service at HQ, and he wants all of us to go. So I'm probably coming to you."

"That'll be nice. Will you bring Marissa?" Flint realized the idiocy of the question as soon as he said it.

Alison chuckled. "Well considering at four and a half months, she's not quite ready to stay a few days by herself, yes. I assume Stalker will be bringing Lydia and the kids, so I'll probably travel with them. Hopefully we'll get it figured out tomorrow."

"That sounds good. I know it's late there, so I'll let you get some sleep. Kiss the princess and give her my love." As he listened to Alison tell Marissa that her daddy loved her, his heart got heavy. "And, Alison, I love you too."

"I love you too, Dash."

Flint hung up the phone. He sat quietly at his desk for a few moments until a framed photo caught his attention. It was one of Alison and Marissa. He had several stashed around his office, room and the apartment, but this was his favorite one. It had been taken a few months ago, when Marissa was about a month old. Alison had staged the photo as a self-portrait of the two of them on the couch. It was just a shot of both of their heads with Alison grinning, while Marissa looked quizzically at the camera.

At the time he received it, Alison had captioned it as the two of them getting ready for a girls' weekend. She told him that she decided to take the photo to capture Marissa's newly learned skill of smiling for him, but despite several shots, she was never able to capture the moment.

Despite that, it was still the perfect photo for him. He could see that Marissa had been on the verge of a smile, and he loved the quizzical look on her face as she studied what must have been a strange object to her. It was also the time that her features began to change from a newborn into an infant growing into her own looks. Up until that point, Marissa had looked more like him. Flint had enjoyed comparing his own baby photos that his mother had brought him to Marissa, and seeing the strong resemblance.

But as the weeks went on, she started to look more and more like her mother. Flint had to admit he was a little disappointed to see the change, but he knew in the long run Marissa would be better off if she favored Alison more than himself. He looked forward to seeing how much she had changed again. Watching an infant grow was a reminder of how quickly life goes by.

And the earthquake in Japan was a brutal reminder of how quickly life can be taken away. That thought strengthened Flint's resolve to bring his family together full time.

* * *

Alison stood with Duke as they waited for Scarlett's arrival at the airport. Flint had been on a long list of Joes that had wanted to join them to welcome Scarlett back, but Alison thought it would be better if he stayed with Marissa. And Duke didn't want to overwhelm Scarlett when she first arrived.

Alison glanced over at Duke, whose face was hard and jaw was clenched. It was a sure sign that the Top was stressed. It had been more than two weeks since the earthquake and she knew he was anxious to finally see Scarlett. She had suffered a severe concussion and a broken ankle, but considering that she had been trapped under the rubble of one of the Arishakage buildings, she had been lucky.

After Scarlett had been released from the hospital in Tokyo, she had flown to Atlanta to recuperate at home. In agreement with Anvil, Hawk had postponed the memorial service until Scarlett was well enough to travel a second time. Once they got the news that Scarlett was cleared to make the trip, Hawk planned their own. The nice thing about travelling with a General on official business, was that they took a charter flight instead of flying commercial. A fact Alison was happy about since Marissa, in the midst of teething issues, didn't travel as well as she did on her first flight. Luckily, the full-fledged shrieking was kept to a minimum, and Lydia was happy to lend a hand to try and soothe the cranky infant.

They had arrived the previous day, and the memorial wasn't until the following day, so it gave Alison and Marissa time to acclimate to the time change. And Alison was glad she had arrived early enough so she could be there pick up Scarlett. She was also happy that Scarlett took up their offer to stay with them at the apartment.

Duke flinched. Alison scanned the arriving crowd, and she finally saw Scarlett being pushed in a wheelchair by her brother, Brian. "She doesn't look as bad as I was expecting."

Duke just grunted as they made their way over to them. "Ignore the wheelchair, I don't need it," Scarlett said. "But this was the only way he'd let me make this trip."

"It wasn't just me," Brian said. "Your doctor insisted."

Scarlett mumbled under her breath. She braced herself against the arm rests. Brian began to protest but she waved him away. "I just want to stand up to give my friends a hug."

Alison deferred to Duke who enveloped Scarlett in a bear hug. They held tight to each other, and by the shaking of their shoulders Alison could tell that both of them were getting emotional. She turned her head to give them a semblance of privacy. Once they separated, Alison stepped in.

"I'm so sorry. How are you doing?"

"I'm taking it one day at a time." Scarlett sniffled and wiped at her eyes. "You look great. I guess the one silver lining in this is that I finally get to meet Marissa."

"I have to warn you that she's teething, so I'm going to apologize ahead of time for any lost sleep she causes you."

Scarlett gingerly sat back down in the wheelchair. "It's all I've been doing the last two weeks, so missing a couple of hours of sleep won't kill me."

Brian squeezed her shoulder. "I'm going to get our bags."

"Let me help you," Duke said.

"No, Duke, stay with Scarlett. I'll go with Brian. And give me your keys, I'll get the car once we're ready."

Alison had two reasons for her suggestion. Not only did she want to give Duke and Scarlett some more time together, but she wanted to talk to Brian to find out the depth of Scarlett's injuries.

"How is she really doing?" Alison asked once they found a spot in front of the conveyor belt.

"Physically, she'll be okay in a few weeks. Mentally and emotionally, though? I think that healing is going to take longer."

Alison nodded. "Has she talked about the earthquake and Snake Eyes?"

"Not to me. And I don't think she's opened up to my brothers or Da." Brian exhaled sharply. "This is one of the many times that I wish our mother was still alive."

Alison knew she was a far cry from Scarlett's mother, but she still hoped that Scarlett would eventually confide in her like they've done in the past. Being caught in the earthquake was traumatic enough, but it had to be devastating to lose Snake-Eyes, a man that Alison suspected Scarlett had been extremely close to.

The conveyer belt alarmed, startling Alison from her thoughts. Once the bags were collected, Alison retrieved the car. They spent the ride to the apartment in near silence. Marissa helped lighten the somber tone, and Scarlett smiled for the first time that day.

"She's beautiful!" Scarlett said as Flint handed Marissa to her.

Scarlett held Marissa throughout most of the evening. Alison was happy to let her, especially since her daughter was continuing to bring a light of happiness to Scarlett. They spent the time telling stories about Snake-Eyes, some Alison had heard before, but most she did not.

After Marissa went to bed, Duke announced he was returning to HQ. Once he left, Scarlett said she too was ready to turn in. Flint and Alison showed Scarlett and Brian to the hastily reconverted guest room. "I borrowed the cots from HQ. They're not exactly roomy, but they should be comfortable."

"This is fine. Are you sure you don't mind evicting Marissa?"

"Not at all. She's sound asleep in her crib in our room," Alison answered. She wished them a good night and she went into her bedroom. Before she climbed into bed, she spent a few minutes leaning on the crib railing, and watched Marissa sleep. Flint walked up behind her, and wrapped his arms around her.

"I was holding off on telling you this until I had a concrete set of orders," Flint said. "But after what happened, I don't want to wait. I'm leaving the Joes."

Alison gasped and spun around. She wrapped her arms around Flint. "Please tell me you're moving closer to home."

"That's the plan. But like I said, nothing is set right now."

Her mind raced as she contemplated all of the positive aspects of Flint's announcement. She had many questions that she didn't want to ask at that moment. That would come later. Instead she kissed him long and hard and once again expressed her love for him.

* * *

Scarlett dropped to her knees in frustration. She and Snake-Eyes had been training all morning, and no matter how many times she tried to perfect the latest move, her technique was faulty. Snake-Eyes walked over to her and put his hand on her shoulder. Once he had her attention, he signed that they should take a break.

"No," Scarlett adamantly said. "I almost mastered it."

Snake-Eyes paused, and she could practically read his thoughts that her statement was a lie. But instead of calling her on it, he just nodded and took his position. Scarlett too got into position. She took a few moments to calm her breathing and her thoughts. She closed her eyes, and took a couple of deep breaths. When she felt the ground start to shake, her eyes shot open. For a moment she thought her overtraining was catching up to her, but she noticed that Snake-Eyes also tensed.

"Earthquake!" he signed as the ground violently shifted. His reaction was much quicker than hers, and he dove on top of her just as she realized the ceiling was coming down. One of the beams fell across her ankle, engulfing her in pain. Moments later, her world went dark as the rest of the ceiling and portions of the roof collapsed on top of them.

Scarlett sat up abruptly in bed, gasping for air. Reliving the earthquake had become a nightly ritual for her. Luckily, based on Bryan's rhythmic breathing, she hadn't cried out like she had a few nights in the past. As she laid there trying to calm her beating heart, she heard Marissa begin to cry. There was the sound of rustling from the bedroom next door, and Marissa's cries quieted.

Scarlett knew she wasn't falling back to sleep any time in the near future, so she grabbed her crutches and as quietly as possible, hobbled out into the living room. She turned on the TV and quickly muted it. She scrolled through a few channels before she settled on a rerun of an old comedy.

She paid no attention to the show. Instead she replayed her conversation with Duke from earlier that day in the airport. Once she had settled back into her wheelchair, he had stood by her side, both quiet for several seconds. Then Duke asked, "Shana are you alright?"

Scarlett contemplated how to answer that question. The pain in her ankle had all but dissipated in the past couple of days, and many of the symptoms of the concussion had faded. But while she knew Duke was concerned about her level of pain, she suspected it was a deeper question than that.

She decided honesty was the best way to proceed. "No, I'm not." Duke remained quiet waiting for her to continue, but she couldn't. Scarlett knew that if she started talking about the earthquake, her fear when she came to under the rubble, the anguish and horror she had experienced once she realized that Snake-Eyes was lying lifeless on top of her, and the aftermath of trying to deal with it, she would open the proverbial can of worms. She was fairly sure she would suffer something resembling an emotional breakdown and she didn't want to do that in the airport full of people.

Duke didn't press the issue, but instead he asked, "Have you given any thought to when you are going back to Japan?"

"I have and I'm not," Scarlett said. She swallowed against the tears that started to form. "I know that makes me a coward, and I should go back to help the Arishakage rebuild, but I can't go back there."

"Shana, you are far from a coward, and no one will blame you for making that decision. So what are you going to do? Work with your father and brothers at your dojo?"

"I haven't made any hard and fast decisions yet, but I don't think I can do that either. I love my family, and they would welcome me without any hesitation. But, I knew before I joined the Army that teaching at the dojo was not my calling, and that hasn't changed. So basically, I don't know what my life's goals are at the moment."

Duke nodded. "Take the time to recover, and don't rush into anything. But I want you to know that the Joes would welcome you back with open arms as well."

Scarlett scoffed. "I don't think Anvil knows how to open his arms."

Duke reached down and grabbed her hand. "If Anvil doesn't, I will."

Scarlett's tears began to flow freely. She wanted a moment to compose herself. "Excuse me, I need to use the restroom."

"Do you want me to get Alison?"

"No," Scarlett replied forcefully. "I can take care of myself."

However, it hadn't been easy. It took her a longer than normal amount of time to take care of her needs and get a hold of her emotions. Luckily, by the time she emerged, Brian had returned with their bags.

Scarlett shifted on the couch in the Faireborn's living room and considered Duke's offer. Maybe she was reading too much into his open arms comment, but she was surprised by the depth of the emotion behind it. And she couldn't help but wonder if he meant it in a personal way, or only professionally.

Either way, she didn't have the energy or desire to deal with Duke. She meant what she said that she hadn't made and decisions regarding her future, and she wasn't going to until she completely healed.

Scarlett heard the back bedroom door open, and soon she was joined by Alison. "I'm sorry, did Marissa wake you?" she asked.

"No, I was already awake. I can't seem to shake the nightmares."

Alison sat down next to her. "Do you want to talk about it?"

Scarlett focused on the images. All she had to do was close her eyes, and she was transported back to the moments during and after the earthquake. Her ankle and head began to throb, and her heart started to race as she was hit again with the panic of being trapped. But none of that was as bad as dealing with the fact that she had lost Snake-Eyes.

She quickly opened her eyes with a sob and shook her head. Alison wrapped her arms around her, and the two women sat together quietly until Scarlett found the courage to speak. "Snakes loved me, and I couldn't reciprocate it. I did love him, but not in the way he wanted. There was a while that I thought I would give it a chance. That if Snakes and I tried to make a go of it, that eventually my feelings would change."

Alison shifted on the couch and grabbed Scarlett's hand. "Starting a relationship hoping that you'll fall in love doesn't seem very fair to either one of you."

"I know, and that's why I never did it. But he's gone now, and I can't shake the guilt. He was such a good man, and deserved better. Why couldn't I give him what he wanted?"

"You can't force yourself to fall in love. I admit that I didn't know Snake-Eyes as well as you, but I have to believe he wouldn't have wanted you with him out of pity."

Scarlett nodded and the tears began to fall. Alison reached over and hugged her. Scarlett knew Alison said was true, but it didn't make her feel any better.

* * *

Alison gently rocked Marissa in her arms as she watched the Joes gather in formation on the parade grounds while she stood in the shadows of HQ with the other wives. She was frustrated over the idea of being relegated to the sidelines. Snake-Eyes had been her teammate and she wanted to honor him alongside the Joes. However, the Joes were preparing a military open boot ceremony, and she was no longer military. She had debated taking up the matter with Anvil, but she didn't want to start an argument. Plus, she had Marissa so staying off to the side was probably the best course of action.

As if sensing her thoughts, Hawk walked over to her. "Would you like to join us on the field?"

"I would," Alison replied. "But am I allowed?"

"This has nothing to do with military status. This is about saying goodbye to a friend. Take the place next to Flint."

"Yes, sir. Thank you," Alison said. She hesitated a moment as she thought about what to do with Marissa when Lydia came through for her yet again. She offered to hold Marissa during the ceremony.

Alison strolled across the parade field with conflicted emotions. She felt a sense of pride at being included in a close knit family that takes care of their own. However, she also felt an overwhelming feeling a sorrow that the ceremony needed to be performed.

Her tears were flowing freely by the time she joined Flint's side. He gave her a sad smile before they were ordered to stand at attention. The ceremony passed in an emotional blur for Alison. Most of her attention was focused on Scarlett, who stood in the front row along with the other members of the Joes that were closest to Snake-Eyes. One Joe that was missing was Jinx. She hadn't made the trip back to the States, since her help was needed in the recovery missions taking place in Japan. Duke stood close to Scarlett's side, apparently ready to support her in case she faltered, but she stayed strong throughout.

At one point, Stalker was overcome by emotion and collapsed to his knees. Alison's tears fell harder as she watched Hawk help Stalker back to his feet. Despite the fact that she wanted to break formation to check on Lydia and Marissa, or to even lock eyes with Flint again she held still.

When the ceremony concluded, they were allowed to stand down. However, they had been ordered to hold their position until they began their parade march back into HQ. Alison discretely turned her head to make sure that Lydia was okay with Marissa. She was, and as Alison resumed her position, she noticed that Flint too had turned to check on Marissa. She smiled at him as their eyes met.

They began the slow, somber walk back into HQ. Once they entered the building, Flint reached for her hand. It started Alison's tears anew, and she squeezed it. They walked down the hallway where they were reunited with Marissa. Flint reached for his daughter first. He gave her a hug and a kiss before he passed her to Alison.

Further down the hallway Alison saw Scarlett. Alison wanted to check on her, but she held back. Scarlett had Duke and Brian on either side of her, supporting her as she received condolences from the Joes. Alison wrapped her arm tighter around Marissa as she pulled Flint close to her. She leaned into him and watched the expressions of love and support from her teammates, once again grateful for all that she had.

* * *

A/N: This chapter came about a couple of years ago after I read the Death of Snake Eyes arc by IDW. The cause of Snake Eyes' demise is vastly different in my story, but what inspired this was issue #214, which was the silent Open Boot ceremony issue. When I saw the single panel of Flint and Lady Jaye holding hands as they reentered the Pit, I wanted to find a way to work that into my story. The last scene of this chapter relies heavily on that issue.


	26. Chapter 26

"So do you trust me now?" Wilder Vaughn asked Dela Eden once their final planning session concluded.

"I never doubted you," Dela Eden said without a hint of hesitation.

Vaughn let out a laugh. "My Dela, you and I both know that isn't true. But I thank you for feeding me the line of bullshit."

Dela smiled. Wilder Vaughn had an intense, bordering on a manic personality. Many people had underestimated how quickly his mood could turn and they hadn't lived to tell the tale. Even though Dela knew that she was one of his closest confidants, she still worried about pushing him too far and incurring his wrath.

However, Vaughn had been in an extraordinarily good mood as of late. His grand plan to send a message to the government of the United States was finally going to be launched in a few days' time. And thanks to the actions that Dela had once considered to be a waste of time, it was going to come as a complete shock.

"I noticed our last campaign was dubbed the Tax Day Blackout. I wonder what not-so-clever term will be used to describe the attack that's coming six months to the day later?" Vaughn asked.

Dela thought about it for a moment. "'Chaos at the Pentagon'?" she offered.

Vaughn grimaced. "Hopefully they have a little more imagination."

"That might depend on whether you leave the Red Shadows calling card this time, or if you set up Cobra again."

Vaughn flashed her a cryptic smile. "I know you had wondered why we had wasted so much time and resources setting up false leads pointing to the remnants of Cobra. I told you that I didn't want there to be any hint of suspicion towards us while we continued our mission. Which was true. The US government would want to bring the blackout's responsible party to justice. And that they would send their favorite go-to team, the Joes, after them.

"The Dreadnoks made for an easy and willing patsy to play the part. But they were too easy. I knew it wouldn't take long for the Joes to realize that they weren't the ones that caused the blackout. So I needed to keep them busy. Because when we make our move in a few days, I want the Joes to be completely surprised about the new threat that popped up on their watch."

Dela kept quiet as Vaughn began to pace. "I watched the Joes battle Cobra from the beginning. I learned early on that the Joes need their happy endings, their 'Saved the Day' moments. They think they've achieved the ultimate ending now with the destruction of Cobra. But they're going to see that their nightmare is just beginning."

Dela grinned as she nodded. "Vaughn, you really are a genius."

Vaughn's grin matched her own. "That is a compliment I will accept." He reached his hand out to her. "Come, let's have a toast to our soon to be achieved victory!"

* * *

Alison juggled the phone between her ear and her shoulder as she worked to get Marissa into her high chair. The baby was starting to fuss, and she knew she only had a few seconds more before the wailing started.

"It sounds like you have your hands full. Do you want me to let you go?" Flint asked.

"No, it's okay. Just hang on one second." She put the phone down, got Marissa settled, and began to feed her from the bowl in her hand. Once she was sure the baby was content she picked the phone up again and balanced it on her shoulder.

"What's for dinner tonight?" Flint asked.

"For me, it's the leftover of my salad from lunch. For Marissa, it's rice cereal." Marissa cooed happily as she ate. Alison smiled at her daughter. Cereal was a recent addition to Marissa's menu. "She really is adorable when she eats. She gets so excited for each spoonful."

"I can't wait to see that."

"Well, if you're still coming this weekend you'll be able to see her introduction to vegetables. Since she's turning six months on Saturday I think it's safe to expand her food options again."

"I will be there. My leave is approved, and I'm taking two extra days to meet with a couple of commanders of local units. Anvil thinks that meeting with them face to face might convince one of them to find me a spot. Right now I'm scheduled to return Tuesday night."

Alison grinned. Not only was she happy about the extended visit, but she hoped that meant that Flint was closer to obtaining his goal of moving to DC. "Marissa, Daddy is going to be here for four whole days this weekend. I should see if Mrs. Matthews will watch you one evening. Maybe Daddy and I can go on a date."

"Mmm, that sounds nice," Flint said.

"Speaking of sitters, a spot opened up at the Pentagon daycare center. Marissa can start on Monday."

"Are you still going to sign her up for that? I thought you love Mrs. Matthews?"

"I do. And I love the individual attention Marissa had been receiving, but I think it might be time for a new arrangement. Mrs. Matthews confessed to me last week that she's been postponing an elective surgery because of her commitment to Marissa and me. This will free her up to take care of it. Plus having Marissa at the Pentagon gives me the chance to spend more time with her during the day."

Flint didn't respond at first. Alison braced herself for the argument that was coming. She didn't realize she began to shake her head in annoyance until she noticed that Marissa too was frowning and shaking her head. Alison laughed.

"What's so funny?" Flint asked.

"It looks like we have a copycat here," Alison replied. To further test the theory, she stuck her tongue out at Marissa who mirrored her action again. She made a mental note to keep Marissa's new talent in mind, especially for the times she wanted to talk bad about her father.

"Alright, we'll talk about the daycare situation when I get there."

Alison sighed. Luckily, Marissa didn't repeat that action with a mouthful of food. "The daycare needs an answer by tomorrow, or they're going to give away her spot. Dash, we don't have to commit to them long-term, but I think we should at least try it out."

"Okay, fine. I'll have some time on Monday so I'll do a spot inspection"

Alison put the phone aside. She then brought her head close to Marissa's. "Dads can be so silly."

Marissa laughed showing she agreed with her comment. "What was that?" Flint asked.

"I said that she was being silly," Alison said as she winked at Marissa. She was truly enjoying every moment of the conversation with her husband and daughter.

"I'm going to let you go. I'll see you Friday. I'm flying commercial again, and I'm scheduled to land late afternoon."

"Sounds good. Let me know your itinerary and I'll pick you up after work." Alison said and she hung up the phone. She began to clean up Marissa. "Let me give you a piece of advice, baby girl. You're going to find out sooner or later that when it comes to boys, you can't live with them, and you can't live without them."

* * *

Alison walked out of the Pentagon daycare center Friday morning regretting the decision to change Marissa's childcare. After she had talked to Flint she had called Mrs. Matthews to let her know about the opening at the Pentagon. Mrs. Matthews was disappointed, but she also seemed a little relieved.

Alison had spent her lunch hour the following day completing the required paperwork to get Marissa enrolled at the daycare. They told Alison that the spot was immediately available, but she stayed with the plan to let Marissa finish out the week with Mrs. Matthews. Until she had learned that the sitter had a doctor's appointment early Friday morning. Normally, Mrs. Matthews would have taken Marissa with her, but Alison decided to give her a break, and start Marissa in the Pentagon daycare a workday earlier.

Marissa had seemed to know something was amiss from the moment she woke up that morning. She hadn't launched into a full-fledged cry, but she was extra cranky and whiny. Alison had hoped that once Marissa met the women who worked in the daycare, and saw the other children there, her mood would improve.

However, the opposite happened. Marissa let out a shriek as soon as they walked through the door. She clung to Alison as she tried to get her settled. Joann, one of the daycare attendants, tried to assure Alison that what Marissa was doing was completely normal. Even though she said that most kids went through a bout of separation anxiety on their first days, Alison still felt bad for subjecting her daughter to it.

Eventually, Marissa calmed down enough to allow Joann to hold her. Lisa, the second attendant, told Alison to begin to make her exit. The two walked to the door while Joann kept Marissa distracted.

"I can come by in a little while and check on her," Alison whispered.

"Actually, unless there is a problem we'd rather you didn't," Lisa replied. "Coming here might upset Marissa again, especially after she figures out she's not going back with you. Once she's used to the routine here you can visit at any time."

Alison reluctantly agreed and then snuck out the door. She felt horrible as she walked to her office. Beachhead was the first to greet her. "Rough morning?"

"No, just another bout of mom guilt. Today is Marissa's first day at the daycare on site here, and it didn't go well. Hopefully, it will get better, though."

Alison sighed as she took a seat at her desk. She debated calling Flint, but she wasn't in the mood for a round of 'I-Told-You-So's. Plus she hadn't told him that Marissa was starting daycare on site early. She had assumed that all would have gone smoothly and she would be able to give him a successful report when she picked him up from the airport later that afternoon. She forced herself to stop dwelling on the fact and turn her attention to her work.

She felt better an hour later when she figured enough time had passed to call the daycare to check on Marissa. She was happy to hear that Marissa hadn't had a repeat of her earlier tantrum, and seemed to be enjoying herself. She was relieved that the day may not be as bad as she had earlier feared.

However, a couple of hours after lunch, the day took a dire turn. The shaking of the building was the first indication that something drastic had happened. The alarms sounded a few seconds later, confirming that something was amiss. As the Joes went on alert, the room was plunged into darkness. A second, closer explosion then sounded.

Alison's first thoughts were for Marissa. She jumped to her feet. "Sir, Marissa is in the daycare, I have to get to her."

"Alison, I understand the concern. But you can't go running out there until we know what's going on. Start calling the different departments. We need to find out what sections was affected, and what happened. Maybe there was a catastrophic accident, but for the time being we need to assume we are under attack."

Despite every instinct in her body pushing for her to run to her daughter, her training forced her to follow Hawk's command. She hoped and prayed that the explosions were nowhere near the daycare and that it had a procedure in place to protect the children.

Her first six calls were futile, but then she finally got an answer in the Navy Submarine Reserves department. The petty officer explained that an explosion happened in the 300s section of the F-Ring. Shortly thereafter, shots were fired and a second explosion occurred farther down the ring from them. They hadn't seen any hostiles, but they could still hear shots ringing out.

Alison passed along the information to Hawk. She felt better when she realized the daycare was on the opposite side of the Pentagon from where the attack was happening. She forced herself to focus on the problem at hand. They had no hint of a brewing attack, so she wondered who was behind it.

The emergency lighting kicked in, which galvanized Hawk. "Grab your weapons, we're going out there."

* * *

Flint was in a deep doze in his seat on the airplane when the ding of a captain's announcement woke him up. He figured it was the standard 'we'll be landing soon' message so he tried to tune it out and go back to sleep. But he quickly realized there was nothing standard about it.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, we've just received serious news. There is a reported attack on the Pentagon. At the moment details are few and far between, but what we do know is that they have closed the airspace around Reagan National. Current plans have us being diverted to Dulles, but this is a constantly changing situation. I thank you in advance for your patience and understanding. I will update you once I have more news."

Flint did what just about everyone on the plane did. He reached for his phone. His first call was to Alison, which could not be connected. Despite the fact that he was expecting that, it didn't calm his nerves any. He tried the other Joes stationed at the Pentagon, but he got the same result. His final call was to Joe HQ.

After Breaker answered, Flint asked for an update on the Pentagon. "Flint aren't you on a plane to DC?"

"I am. The captain just made an announcement about the attack and that we are being diverted. We're all hoping we get to land in Dulles. So what happened?"

"We don't have complete confirmation, but there seems to be a coordinated attack on the Pentagon. It looks like they used a massive amount of explosives in a truck to blow open a portion of the east wall, while a smaller truck bomb hit the North East wall. They then followed up with a ground attack."

"Who's they?" Flint asked. "Cobra?"

"We're working to confirm that, but we don't think so."

"Okay, thanks. Hopefully we'll be on the ground shortly, and I can get a firsthand look. I'll be in touch."

Flint hung up the phone just as the captain announced they were clear to land in Dulles. There were a few gasps from the passengers, as they were able to see a distant view of the smoke coming from the Pentagon. Flint leaned back in his seat and prayed that Alison was safe.

* * *

Alison and the other Joes kept weaving in and out of the myriad corridors, searching for the source of gunfire they sporadically heard. They turned down another hallway and ran into a group of American soldiers that were crouched behind an impromptu barricade out of office furniture. They made quick introductions, and Hawk asked for a status report.

"After the explosions, we ran down the hall and found this barricade. From what we can tell, there are about a dozen enemy contacts bunkered down on the other side. We've been waiting for a few more guns before we storm them."

"You've got them now. But let's not run into an ambush." Hawk answered. They cleared away enough of the furniture to take a closer look at the situation.

They were immediately hit with a barrage of gunshots. They returned fire and once the firefight died down, the remaining attackers raced down the hall. Hawk and the others chased after them, until Alison reached the corridor that led to the daycare. She looked down it, to see another group of soldiers heading towards them. Knowing that Hawk had more than enough men to take up the fight, she grabbed Beachhead's arm, who was the closest Joe to her. "I have to get to Marissa and make sure she's okay."

Beachhead looked at the team giving chase then back to her. "Let's go. I'm not letting you go off alone."

They stopped long enough to tell the approaching soldiers to follow after their team, and then they were off. At the next corridor intersection, they came across two soldiers who had been shot. One was less severely injured than the other, but he had stayed behind to wait for help. Beachhead looked from Alison to the two soldiers.

"Beachhead, get them the help they need. I have to get to Marissa, I'll be fine." Before he could protest, she continued on her quest.

The corridor was clear until she got to the next intersection. Shots rang out around the corner from where she was. Alison stopped and tiptoed towards the end of the hall. A bullet ricocheted off the wall, and hit her in her left shoulder. She bit her lip in pain. She backed away a couple of steps and carefully poked at the wound. She could feel the entrance hole in the front of her shoulder. She didn't feel one in the back. Any movement of her left arm sent a shockwave of pain through her system.

Despite the pain, Alison knew she had to get to Marissa. She looked down the hallway. The daycare was three doors down from the opposite end of the hallway intersection. She was not going to be deterred from reaching her goal. She again peaked down the adjoining corridor and saw no movement. She checked the other end, and it too was quiet. Hoping she wasn't making a fatal mistake, she raced across the intersection.

She made it to the other end without another shot being fired. Taking no time to reflect on her good luck, she raced to the daycare. She tried the handle, even though she knew it was going to be locked. Finding that to be true, she banged on the door. "Hello? Is anyone in there? This is Mrs. Alison Faireborn, and I want to pick up my daughter."

No one came to the door. Again, Alison was not surprised. She figured the daycare had a shelter-in-place plan. But she was not going to rest until she had her daughter in her arms. "Please let me in. I have my I.D. proving who I am."

Alison received no response. She again tried knocking and reciting her name, but no one came to the door. So she decided to try a different tactic. "I know you have rules for this situation, and I don't blame you for not opening this door. But I can prove my little girl is in there, and all I want is to get in there to hold her in my arms. Her name is Marissa. This is her first day of daycare here, and I'm sure she's terrified. She cried when I brought her this morning, and you know I didn't want to leave her, but I had to."

Alison rested her head on the door. "Marissa has a head full of curly brown hair, and blue-grey eyes that may be turning hazel. Unless she had a diaper blowout, she's wearing a pink Minnie Mouse long sleeve onesie, and dark grey leggings. I sent her in this morning with three bottles, and a mixture of rice cereal for lunch. You may have noticed that she loved the cereal."

The door slowly opened, and Alison saw half of Joanna's face covered in shadows peeking out. "This is going against protocol, but I figured only a mother would know those things. I know who you are, but let me see your ID and tell me your code word."

Alison did as was requested, and soon she had Marissa in her arms. Despite the pain in her shoulder, Alison hugged her as tight as she could. "You haven't seen any of the attackers?" Alison asked Joanna.

"No. We've heard the gunfire, but thank God it hasn't come here."

"Hopefully that continues. What's your plan?"

"To hunker down here until it's safe to evacuate."

Alison nodded. It was the best plan with a room full of infants and toddler. Now that she and Marissa were reunited, Alison was able to think more clearly about the attack. She hadn't gotten good looks at any of the hostiles, but they hadn't worn the telltale uniform of Cobra troopers. She again wondered how she and the rest of the intelligence department missed any hints of an attack. Maybe the Joes had some answers for her. At the very least, they might be able to give her news from the outside. "Do you have a working phone?"

Lisa shook her head. "No. We've been trying all afternoon. We want to get word to the emergency contacts that the kids are okay."

That was disappointing news. She wished she hadn't left her cell phone behind at her desk. It probably wouldn't have worked either, but it would have been another avenue to try. She then remembered that Flint had been flying in that afternoon. She figured he was worried sick. If he was anywhere in the vicinity he was probably moving heaven and earth trying to find her.

* * *

Flint was beside himself. He felt so helpless. The Pentagon was on lockdown. None of the guards was letting him on site, no matter how many credentials he had flashed them. He had briefly considered storming one of the entrances, but he knew that would only lead to him getting shot. Lacking any other plan, he had parked himself outside the visitor entrance closest to Alison's office and waited for word.

He asked everyone he saw exiting the building if they had seen any of the Joes. Finally, one Air Force Officer explained that he did see one of them escorting a couple of injured men. They were heading to the exit just to the south of them. Flint raced there and he caught sight of Beachhead helping a couple of injured soldiers out of the building. Despite the protests of the guards, Flint raced to his side. He helped support the severely injured man Beachhead was carrying. "Are there more injured inside?" Flint asked.

"I'm sure there are, but these are the only two I came across."

Flint and Beachhead brought the two men to one of the many ambulances parked outside of security. Once they were taken care of Flint asked, "Where are Alison and the other Joes?"

Beachhead shook his head. "I'm not sure. Alison and I left Hawk, Stalker and a team of soldiers that were chasing down the assailants. She insisted on trying to get to the daycare to get Marissa."

Flint's heart stopped. "Marissa? She's here too? She wasn't supposed to start until next week"

"I don't know what happened, but Alison said she was in the daycare today."

"So where are they now?"

"Once I found the two injured soldiers, she told me to get them to safety while she continued on. I haven't seen her since."

"Damn, it!" Flint said and he charged the security entrance again. He was not going to be denied going in. Beachhead joined his side, flashed his Pentagon badge, and after explaining who Flint was, he was finally gained access.

Most of the activity in the building had died down. They had no problem getting to the daycare, where once again Flint found himself at an impasse. The woman on the other side of the door refused them entry. But then he heard a familiar voice vouch for him, and the door opened. Flint grinned when he saw Alison standing there with Marissa in her arms.

He enveloped them both in a bear hug which earned an annoyed squawk from Marissa.

"Is she okay?" he asked once he finished kissing them both.

"She's fine. These women have done a great job of keeping them safe."

Flint looked around and realized there were a dozen children in the room. He looked at Beachhead and debated their options. "We're not going to be able to get them all out safely with just us. But I don't like the idea of being trapped in this room."

"I agree. Let's see if we can recruit some help."

Flint looked at Alison. He didn't want his family to separate again, but he knew Beachhead shouldn't go out on his own. She nodded. "We'll be okay. Get some help so we can get out of here."

It was easier than he expected. The halls were still quiet and they found a few men patrolling the hallways. After getting a status report that the activity in that area had died down, Flint recruited the men to help evacuate the daycare.

Once they returned, the adults divided the children up among them. Flint offered to take Marissa, but Alison declined. "It's better if you have both hands free. You can provide the cover we may need. Just help me strap her in."

Flint noticed that she was grimacing as she adjusted the sling and Marissa to her body. "Are you hurt?"

"I got a graze on the way over. It's not bad, though."

Flint doubted that was the case, but he knew the quicker he got everyone out, the quicker they could deal with her injury. Beachhead too had his hands free, and the two lead the group out of the building and toward the makeshift triage unit that had been set up.

Once they were safely away from the building, Flint turned towards Alison. She looked extremely pale and was swaying on her feet. "Dash, take her please," she said weakly.

Flint called for a medic as he pulled Marissa into her arms. Alison collapsed to the ground moments later.


	27. Chapter 27

Flint took a seat in the hospital's waiting room. He had just completed his third complete loop of walking the hospital complex as he tried to give an outlet to his raging emotions. He had left the Pentagon hours ago to get Alison the medical attention she needed, but the anger he felt about the attack hadn't abated.

He looked at his watch and saw that it was after midnight, nearly two hours since Alison had entered surgery. The doctor had assured him that Alison's injury wasn't life-threatening. However, Flint still worried about the blood loss Alison had experienced, and the risk of unexpected complications.

The door to the waiting room opened, but it was a different doctor looking to speak to another family member. She was the bearer of good news, and Flint watched as a relieved older woman, excitedly pump the doctor's hand in thanks. The two left together, leaving Flint alone with one other couple, who too was waiting on word on a victim of the Pentagon attack. Flint had spoken to them briefly earlier and had been amazed at how calm and patient they had been, and continued to be.

Those were two words that never could be used to describe Flint whenever Alison had been hurt, captured or in any kind of trouble. She had been injured several times while a member of the Joe team, and Flint knew he had tested first Doc's and then Lifeline's patience with his antics during her hospital stints.

In fact, the main reason why their relationship became a matter of public record was due to Flint's behavior the first time Lady Jaye had been hurt while out on a mission. He couldn't remember exactly where she had gone, but he did still vividly remember the moment he received word that their mission had gone bad, and her team was coming back with multiple injuries.

He had met Wild Bill's Dragonfly as it had landed on the tarmac. As Flint had feared, Lady Jaye was not one of the Joes walking off under her own power, but instead was being wheeled into HQ on a makeshift stretcher. She was unconscious, although Flint couldn't see any visible injuries.

Flint had stayed with Duke, who had been the lead on the ill-fated mission, only long enough to get a brief recap. The Joes had been investigating an abandoned Cobra base when they accidentally triggered a booby trap. Lady Jaye and two other Joes had been on the outer fringes of the resulting blast.

Flint then had raced to the medical wing, and had made a nuisance of himself until he finally got an update from Doc. Lady Jaye had been lucky. The worst of her injuries had been a concussion and bruised ribs.

At first Doc had been hesitant to let Flint see Lady Jaye, as he wanted her to rest, but he had eventually relented. Flint had only been allowed a few minutes with her, but it had been enough to soothe his mind that she truly was okay.

Flint had run into Duke as he was leaving Lady Jaye's room. With a frown Duke had said, "In case you were wondering, Gung-Ho and Barbecue are also going to be okay."

"That's a relief," Flint had said. He knew his behavior had been completely inappropriate, and that there was probably going to be some kind of retribution. He had braced himself for the tirade he knew was coming from Duke.

Instead Duke had sighed. He had looked to Lady Jaye's closed door and simply said, "Are we going to have a problem here?"

Flint knew that was Duke's way of letting him off easy. "No, we're not."

"Good," Duke said. He patted Flint's shoulder. "I'm glad she's okay."

"You and me both," Flint replied.

The door to the waiting room opened, and the doctor Flint had been waiting to see finally walked in. He looked at Flint with a smile. "Everything went very well, Mister Faireborn. She's going to have some discomfort, but I expect Alison to make a full recovery within a few weeks. We're going to admit her and keep her overnight for observation, but I expect she'll be released within twenty-four to forty-right hours."

"Thank you, Doctor, that is great news. I really appreciate everything you've done."

The doctor nodded. "We're in the process of moving her to the recovery floor. She probably won't regain consciousness for a few hours, so if you want to go home I can have someone call you when she's awake."

Flint hesitated for only a moment. His first thought was for Marissa, but he assumed that she was sound asleep at Stalker's house. He knew she'd be okay for a few more hours. "No, I'm going to wait here. I'll feel better once I see her."

"I understand. There's a waiting room up on the seventh floor where Alison will be transferred."

Once the doctor left, Flint said a silent prayer of thanks that Alison was okay. He followed up with the request that Alison be spared from further life-threatening injuries. Flint hoped that the next time he had to be in a hospital was for a happier occasion such as the birth of another child.

Despite the late hour, Flint was far from tired. Since he had nervous energy to burn he decided to take the stairs instead of the elevator. As he passed the floor for labor and delivery, he began to reminisce about Marissa's birth, and how exactly six months prior he had been in another hospital welcoming her into the world.

That thought stopped him. Marissa had been born in the early morning hours after the blackout. Which meant that the attack on the Pentagon had occurred exactly six months after the blackout that had crippled DC and the Northeast.

It seemed too much of a coincidence to be a random occurrence. They didn't have a lot of information on the attackers of the Pentagon, as they had disappeared as rapidly as they had appeared. But the one thing that seemed to be certain was that it hadn't been done by the Dreadnoks or Cobra. The group behind it may be a mystery, but they had to be connected to the blackout perpetrators.

Had the blackout been a warning of what was to come? Was it an initial demonstration of the group's power? Or did they need to trigger the chaos during and after the blackout as a way to probe weaknesses in the Pentagon's defenses?

Flint turned around and began to head back down the stairs. Before he took up residence in the waiting room, he wanted to talk to HQ, and see if he could get any answers to his questions. It was late there, but he was sure that no one was sleeping as they too were processing the attack.

It was time to put his anger and nervous energy to good use. He had been at this job long enough to know it was probably going to be a long and frustrating process but he made a vow that one day he was going to punish the perpetrators that had attacked the United States and threatened his wife and child.

* * *

Alison woke up disoriented and with a throbbing pain in her shoulder. She tried to sit up but a hand on her good shoulder held her back.

"Don't sit up. It's better if you lay still."

Alison's memory returned with a flourish, up until the point she collapsed outside the Pentagon. "Marissa?' she asked. Her throat was so dry she had a hard time talking.

Flint passed her a cup of water. "She's fine. Once we learned you needed surgery, Lydia offered to take her home."

"What time is it?"

"About 9 AM, Saturday morning."

"Wow. So I was out all night?"

"You were in and out after your surgery, but you were so groggy that I'm not surprised you don't remember anything." Alison gingerly poked at her bandages, as Flint continued. "You got lucky. The bullet was wedged in your clavicle, which caused it to crack, but the doctor said it could have been much worse. He was surprised it didn't shatter. The more serious part was that you had a pretty good amount of blood loss, so they had to give you a transfusion. The doctor was by earlier and said your vitals were much more stable this morning. If that continues he said you could be released tomorrow, or Monday the latest."

Alison sighed. "So much for our weekend together."

"Don't worry, I'm not leaving any time soon. I already cleared it with General Bradshaw. You're going to need help with Marissa, and I can also assist in the clean-up effort at the Pentagon."

"How bad is it over there?"

"The last I heard, pretty bad. There's a lot of physical damage to the building, and they haven't even been able to get to the blast sites due to the fires that are still burning. As far as casualties, we were lucky, relatively speaking."

"Hawk and the others okay?"

"They are," Flint let out a yawn, so Alison asked. "Did you get any sleep last night?"

"I had a couple of naps."

Alison reached for his hand and squeezed it. "Thank you for staying with me, but you should go home. Pick up Marissa, and spend some quality time with her. You haven't seen her in a couple of weeks."

"I also haven't seen you."

"I know, but I'm not much company right now. Plus, I'd feel better if you relieved Lydia. She has her hands full with her own kids and I don't want Marissa running her ragged."

"She's a barely mobile six-month-old, how ragged could she run anyone?"

Alison smiled. "Spend the weekend with her and then tell me how you feel."

Flint too smiled. He stood up and kissed the top of her head. "Okay, I'm going to go but I'll be back later this afternoon. Do you want anything?"

Alison gave him a list that included her laptop. He frowned at that item. "You're supposed to be resting."

"I will. It's just to keep me from getting bored."

Flint shook his head. "Fine. But please try to sleep why I'm gone. I love you."

"I love you too," Alison replied.

Alison rang for the nurse as soon as he had left her room. In addition to the reasons she told him why she wanted him to go, she had another one. Her chest was throbbing due to the fact that Marissa had missed her last two feedings. She was in desperate need of pumping, and it wasn't something she wanted to do while Flint watched.

The nurse came in and helped her get set up. The nurse stayed with her and they made small talk about the Pentagon attack. Alison also asked her how long she would have to forgo nursing Marissa due to her injury. The nurse told her she should abstain for at least twenty-four hours after any doses of the stronger pain killers. That sealed the idea in Alison's mind that she was going to wean herself off the medication as soon as possible. She knew with Marissa starting to eat solid foods, their nursing sessions were numbered and she didn't want to lose too many of the remaining ones she had.

Once she was done, the nurse packed up the equipment and left. Alison felt much more comfortable. Plus, the pain in her shoulder had dulled so she picked up her room phone to give the Joe HQ a call. She wanted to pick Chuckles' brain on the new threat.

"Hey Alison, it's good to hear from you," Breaker said. Alison grinned as she heard the sound of his popping gum. It gave her a sense of normalcy. "I heard you got banged up in the firefight yesterday."

"I did, but I'm okay."

"Glad to hear it. How's the baby?"

"She's good. She's getting big. I think she might start crawling any day now. Is Chuckles around? I want to talk to him about the group that attacked the Pentagon."

Breaker grunted. "He's been going non-stop since yesterday afternoon. I'd pull him away from his work, but I'm not sure how coherent he's going to be. I can get Dial-Tone or Mainframe, though. They've been assisting him and they can probably give you the same information."

Alison waited the couple of minutes until Dial-Tone came on the line. "Good morning, Dial-Tone. I wanted to see if I can get caught up on whatever information you dug up on the group that attacked us yesterday. But before you say anything, I want you to know I'm on an unsecure line in my hospital room, so be careful with any classified stuff."

"Yeah, I heard you got hurt yesterday. I'm glad you're okay, and Flint was able to get to you. As far as anything classified, I don't think I have anything more definitive than what the news stations have been reporting."

Alison made a mental note to put on the TV after her phone call ended. "Okay. I've been out of the loop the last few hours, so I need to be caught up."

Dial-Tone explained that all signs pointed to the attack being orchestrated by a new terrorist group called the Red Shadows. He further explained that they also seemed to be behind the blackout. The Joes were working on putting together a rudimentary chain of command for the organization, and whether or not they were connected to any other terrorist groups.

"Thanks, Dial-Tone, that's a good head start for me. Do me a favor, if you can, e-mail me any and all documents you dig up. When I get a chance I want to read through the information."

Dial-Tone laughed. "Maybe you should talk to your husband. He requested the same documents late last night."

"I will. Thank you."

Alison hung up the phone. She laid back on her pillow, as the brief activity exhausted her. She tried to fight it, but soon she was fast asleep.

* * *

Alison was released from the hospital late in the day on Sunday. The doctor had fought her on the idea, and wanted to keep her an extra night, but Alison refused. She wanted to get home, to spend the night with her husband and daughter.

However, her homecoming hadn't been as nice as she had envisioned. She had hoped to return to a semblance of a typical evening routine. Flint had tried to introduce a new vegetable to Marissa's dinner, but she resisted. He quickly switched to cereal, but it seemed that the damage was done, and Marissa refused to eat that as well. So he took her out of her high chair, and tried to feed her a bottle. By that time she was shrieking.

Alison had hesitated stepping in, as she couldn't hold Marissa very well with her injured shoulder. But she couldn't take seeing her daughter in distress so she asked Flint to bring Marissa to her. Marissa had assumed that meant she was going to be nursed. But since Alison was still weaning off the pain medication, she knew she couldn't. Alison tried to distract her with the bottle, but that just led to another round of crying. Marissa clearly did not want the bottle and no amount of coaxing was going to change the fact. As she again rooted towards her breast and was denied, she reared her fist out, hitting Alison in her bad shoulder.

The pain was excruciating. Alison cried out, "God damn it, Dash, take her!"

He picked her up and started jiggling her against his chest. Marissa let out an even louder shriek. "What do you want me to do?"

Alison struggled to remain calm. "Take her into the bedroom, and try again to feed her. Maybe once she's away from me, she'll take the bottle."

"And if that doesn't work?"

"I don't know!" Alison shouted. "Just figure something out!"

Flint slunk away and luckily closed the bedroom door behind him. It only muted the screams. Alison felt awful, both emotionally and physically. She knew that waiting one more day to nurse Marissa was the safest thing for her health, but she couldn't help but wonder if she was causing other damage by denying her daughter what she so desperately wanted. Plus, the pain in her shoulder was unbearable at the moment which was unhinging her mental state even further.

The baby continued to scream, and Alison debated taking the coward's way out and escaping from the apartment. She really just wanted to go for a walk around the block to clear her head, but she didn't have the energy to move. Instead she sat on the couch and started to cry.

After what seemed like an inordinate amount of time, Marissa quieted. Alison waited a couple of minutes to make sure she truly was done crying before she walked over to the bedroom and peeked her head in. Marissa was asleep in Flint's arms. The bottle, still full, was on the nightstand.

"So she never ate?" she asked.

Flint shook his head. "No. I think she finally passed out from exhaustion."

"Poor baby," Alison said as her tears started anew.

"C'mere," Flint said. He patted the bed next to him. "Don't make me have to calm you down too."

Taking care not to disturb the sleeping infant, Alison nestled against Flint. She rested her head against his shoulder. "I can't believe that she put up that much of a fight."

"I can. Apparently she inherited your stubbornness."

Despite her mood, Alison let out a chuckle. "Hey! I think you might have contributed some of that too. You can be pretty strong willed yourself."

"If she's this bad now, can you imagine what she will be like as a teenager?"

"Oh, God. But promise me one thing, that you are not going to be the stereotypical father of a teenage girl that gives her everything her heart desires."

Marissa stirred and let out a small squawk. "Quick," Alison commanded. "Give her the bottle before she fully wakes up. Maybe she'll take it now that she's not a screaming banshee."

Alison pulled away and watched as Flint brought the bottle to the baby's mouth. Marissa latched on immediately, and drank hungrily. Alison felt like a weight was lifted from her shoulders.

"See, she's okay," Flint said. He gazed down at the baby, and rubbed her cheek with his thumb. He was rewarded with a brief grin before she resumed eating.

Flint wore a matching grin on his face, and Alison realized that Marissa had already wrapped him around her little finger. "If only Cobra knew that the secret to taking down the great Flint Faireborn was a pretty brunette."

"Oh I think they knew. Why do you think I had so many encounters with the Baroness?"

"Cute," Alison replied with a smile. Marissa finished her bottle, and Alison looked at the clock. "I'll take her to get her ready for bed."

Flint shook his head. "No you're not. I want you to rest."

"You've been taking care of her all weekend."

"True. But by my calculation, I still need to make up about another 160 days before we're even."

Alison didn't argue any further. She kissed Marissa, and Flint took her away. Alison too got ready for bed. She smiled as she listened to the sounds coming from the other room. It seemed like she finally got her request for a normal family evening. However, the bandages on her shoulder reminded her that they were still far from normal.

She began to remove the bandages until Flint walked in. "Do you need help with those?"

"If you don't mind. I should put fresh ones on."

"Of course, I don't mind. I like taking care of my girls."

"And your girls appreciate all that you do."

Flint carefully removed the old ones and rewrapped the clean ones. Once he was done he leaned into her and gave her a long, deep kiss. "Make love to me," she whispered.

"Are you sure?" he asked huskily.

"I am. I really want you."

He was just as gentle. Due to her limited mobility, it was far from the most passionate sex they had shared, but it was one of the most intimate she had experienced.

Afterwards, they chatted for a little while, and Alison fell into a deep sleep. Marissa gave her standard wake-up call at 5 AM, but when Alison began to rise, Flint told her to stay in bed. She was so tired that she didn't argue.

She woke up a couple of hours later, feeling completely refreshed. Flint was still asleep next to her, and she decided to repay the favor of the previous night by giving him a chance to sleep late. She quietly got out of bed, and closed the door behind her. She tiptoed into Marissa's room and saw that she was already awake. As soon as Marissa saw her she let out a squeal and reached her arms towards her. "Shh, sweetie. I don't want you to wake up Daddy."

It was a bit of a juggling act, and quite a bit painful, but she was able to get Marissa out of the crib and into the rocker so she could feed her. Since it had been a day and half since she last took any medication, Alison felt it was now safe to nurse her daughter.

For the first time in months, she felt like she could truly relax and enjoy this moment. Usually this was done as she was half asleep and in a rush to get out of the house in the morning. She then heard the sounds of Flint's phone ringing. She cursed at the timing. Not only did she want him to catch up on some sleep, but based on the early hour of the call, someone needed him for something.

That was confirmed when he came into Marissa's room. "That was General Bradshaw."

Alison sighed. "Does he want you back at HQ?"

"No. Actually, it's the opposite. Since they need all the help they can get at the Pentagon, Duke is flying in with a team. General Bradshaw wanted to know if I could meet them at the airport and help get them situated. I told him I had to see how you were doing first."

"Dash, I'll be fine. You should go."

"Are you sure? It might be a few hours."

"I am. We'll be okay."

"I can drop her off at Mrs. Matthews on my way out if you want."

"No. I was just thinking that this is a nice opportunity to spend some quality time with her. If it gets to be too much, I can always bring her over later."

Flint seemed satisfied. He walked over to give both of them a kiss. "I'm going to take a shower, and then I'll make a quick breakfast."

"You don't need to do that."

"No. It's fine. They're not landing for a couple hours, so I have time."

Flint was true to his word. He showered, made her breakfast, and changed and dressed Marissa before he got her settled in her activity chair. Then, with a promise to only be gone a couple of hours, he left. Alison looked over at Marissa, and saw that she had fallen asleep.

She took advantage of the quiet time and lay down. However, her mind was uneasy and too unsettled for her to rest. Something about the Red Shadows had been nagging her ever since she learned the name of the new terrorist group. But between the pain and the medication, she had been too groggy to think clearly.

She was feeling better, and more clear-headed, so the answer finally came to her. This was not the first time she came across the Red Shadows name. She remembered a point more than a year earlier when she was still with the Joes and Chuckles had flagged a term that she had misinterpreted to mean the Crimson Darkness. Instead she realized that what she had actually come upon was the first references to the Red Shadows.

That had been a stressful time when she was struggling to hide her pregnancy and hold onto her job and relationship with Flint. She looked over at Marissa and even though it hadn't been that long ago, she had only vague memories of what it had been like being pregnant with her.

The reason for her chain of thoughts was that Alison wondered if because of her personal issues at the time if she had missed the signs of the Red Shadows potential power. Her conscience seemed to think so as it continued to nag at her. But the more she reminisced the more she became convinced that she had acted properly. She remembered flagging the term for follow-up, so even though her career path took a detour shortly thereafter, she knew others had been picking up the slack.

So that settled, she wondered why her sub-conscience was still hounding her. And then she remembered another reference to the shadows – the time she met the creepy old woman in Scotland. Even after all this time, the woman's words came back to her.

"You will give birth to a daughter that will bring you and your husband great joy." Alison looked at Marissa and smiled. That part was absolutely true. She remembered at the time that she didn't know for sure the sex of her baby, and she even had doubts about whether she and Flint would ever end up married. But they did, proving the first part of the woman's prophecy true.

Alison's breath caught as she had the awful thought that if the first half of the woman's prophecy was true than the second half must follow suit. "You will suffer a great tragedy once the evil in the shadows is revealed." She now guessed that the Red Shadows were the evil the old woman referenced. She tried to calm herself by saying that maybe the woman wasn't totally correct. She and Marissa had a close call, but they did escape their encounter without any lasting harm. But Alison was afraid this event was not what the women prophesized. She had an awful feeling that another Red Shadows attack was in their future, and they were not going to be as lucky during the next go-around. For a third time, she looked at Marissa sleeping peacefully in her chair. Alison was hit with an absolute crushing fear that their next encounter with the Red Shadows was going to have deadly consequences.


	28. Chapter 28

_A/N: So with this book two comes to an end. I wrote this epilogue a few months ago, and I had promised myself that I would get it uploaded by Christmas. I cut it pretty close to the wire, but I did it. Once again, thank you to everyone who has read this and Lovers in a Dangerous Time. I have had so much fun putting out these stories, and I so appreciate all who have read it._

 _The final book will be coming in hopefully a few weeks._

 _Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all!_

* * *

Alison walked out onto the back deck of Flint's parents' house. The Christmas festivities had started to wind down, and she needed some air before she said her goodbyes to Flint's family. She flashed back to the time thirteen months prior, when she was newly engaged, pregnant with Marissa, and conflicted about the future. Now her one-year wedding anniversary was coming up, Marissa was a happy, healthy eight-month old, and Alison was still worried about what the future would bring.

She heard the muffled squeals of delight coming from her daughter, and she turned to watch her through the open double window that showed the living room. Marissa had the complete attention of one of the dogs that was playfully licking and nudging her. Flint was on his knees only a couple of feet away from the two apparently ready to rescue Marissa if the dog became too rough.

Alison had to swallow against the lump that once again formed in her throat. She had been told by many people the past month that Christmas was going to be a whole new experience now that she was a mother. Each time she heard that, she nodded politely, but she now realized that they were correct. She had spent the last couple of days choking back happy tears as she watched Marissa experience the joy of Christmas with her family. Alison imagined that each holiday going forward would become even more special.

That was, of course, assuming she would be around to see the future holidays with Flint and Marissa.

She turned away from the window and for the umpteenth time, replayed her last day at the Pentagon before they had left on Christmas break. It had been a pretty somber time there. A few offices tried to continue their holiday traditions, but out of respect for the fallen and the destruction at the Pentagon, any celebrations were kept to a bare minimum.

Flint too had tried to keep his enthusiasm in check. He had confessed to her early that morning, that he felt bad being so excited for their Christmas holiday, while other people were still in mourning. But he was so happy that they were together, and after nearly losing the two of them, he wanted to fully embrace the opportunity he had been given.

Alison shared his thoughts, and as the hours ticked away, she too became very excited for the start of the holiday. Until a grim-faced Hawk came over to her desk. "I'm sorry that they chose this time to do this. I considered waiting until after you got back to let you know, but unfortunately I think you're going to need all the time you can get to prepare."

With that ominous warning, Alison took the paper that Hawk held out to her. Flint instantly joined her side and asked her what was wrong.

Her heart stopped as she read through the summons. Once she was done she looked at Flint, and it took her a few moments to be able to speak. "I've been ordered to appear in front of Congress as soon as they return from their winter break. They apparently think I had something to do with the Red Shadows attack."

"That's ridiculous," Flint said as he took the paper from her to read it himself. Once he was done, he turned to Hawk, "Can they do this?"

"Of course they can. They've only started their investigation but from the little I've heard they think there might have been someone on the inside helping the Red Shadows."

"They think it was me?" Alison asked.

"I wouldn't jump to that conclusion. They're probably questioning dozens of people to see who knows what. Although, I don't like the fact that you were the only one from this office that was summoned."

Needless to say, the news had dulled Alison's excitement for the holiday. But after spending most of the rest of the day confessing her fears to Flint, she decided to make a conscious effort to not spend the whole vacation worrying.

The sliding glass door opened, and Flint walked out. "Are you okay?" he asked as he walked over and enveloped her in a hug.

"Yes, I'm just thinking. I was able to put the congressional witch hunt out of my mind the last couple of days, but now that Christmas is over, I can't help but worry over what is coming next."

"Alison, it's going to be okay. You're totally innocent."

"I know that. But I know they're looking for a scapegoat, so I'm afraid the truth isn't going to matter."

"Maybe. But they still can't convict you for a crime you didn't commit."

Alison nestled into Flint's chest. They had a similar discussion when they had first heard the news. At the time he told her to try and not worry about something she couldn't control. She forced herself to take his advice again. "Where is Marissa?"

"Mom's getting her changed for bed."

Alison nodded. She knew she should go back in to the house, but she was too content in that moment being alone with Flint. She was once again hit with the foreboding premonition that her happiness was not going to last. As had often happened the last couple of months, when she was feeling the most vulnerable, thoughts of the old Scottish woman entered her mind.

She pulled away from Flint and looked at him. He rubbed her cheek with the back of his hand and once again told her that everything was going to be okay. There had been several times that she wanted to tell him about what the woman had predicted, but each time she came up with a reason not to. Even though she didn't want to ruin his happiness, she needed his reassurance that what the woman said was not going to come true.

"When I went on my last mission with the Joes, I came across an old Scottish woman. I thought she was either the Baroness or Zarana in disguise so I chased after her. She wasn't a Cobra operative but she did give me a disturbing prediction for our future."

"What did she say?" Flint asked with concern.

"That a group in the shadows was going to destroy our happiness. Dash, I think she meant the Red Shadows. I'm so afraid that their attack on the Pentagon was only the beginning, and that it's not going to end well for us."

Flint grabbed her hand. "Alison, you can't take to heart the ramblings of a crazy old lady."

"Normally, I wouldn't. But at the time she knew I was pregnant. And that it was a girl, and that we were going to end up married. Those were both things I didn't even know for sure."

"That's how those charlatans work. She probably made vague generalizations that you twisted to match your situation." Alison knew that wasn't the case, but she also knew she wasn't going to be able to convince Flint otherwise. So she simply nodded. Flint continued. "It's perfectly normal to be afraid of another Red Shadows attack. And to be honest, that thought keeps me up more nights that not. The Joes are doing all they can to hunt them down. In the meantime we can be vigilant, take steps to protect ourselves, and live each day that we're given to the fullest."

Alison wiped at the dampness that formed under her eyes. "You're right. I'll try and stop worrying. These last few days have been amazing, and I want to keep that going." She squeezed Flint's hand and nodded towards the house. "Merry Christmas, Dash. Let's go kiss our baby girl goodnight."


End file.
